The 'Corrected' Journey
by KAORI inspi' HITOMI
Summary: [STORY DISCONTINUED] Rikku awakens to find that something isn't right, like she has been through the pilgrimage before but can't remember it. However, something bigger is happening.....
1. The Beginning

Chapter One: The Beginning Copyright: All Final Fantasy X characters is used, and is property of Square-enix Corporation. Story is purely fiction and any plot that relates to a real life person's experience, dead or alive, is purely coincidental. Author's Notes: Okay, here is a revamped (and shortened) version of the Journey of Ordeals. Hope all of you can enjoy this story.  
  
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The Beginning  
  
A vast grass plain stood before me. Using my childhood memories, I recalled that these were the Calm lands. The sky was blue, and dandelions seeds flew together with the breeze. I felt two gloved hands wrap around me coyly.  
  
"We will return here," I heard his manly voice, turning behind to see the man's smiling visage. "But together, with triumph. I promise..." Without thinking twice, I took his hands and put them onto my chest. I turned and pushed myself against his sturdy but soft crimson coat, locked in a warm embrace. His raven colored ponytail flew in the air as a strong wind blew in our direction.  
  
From the strong sea of passion in my heart, I came back to my senses. Who was this man and what was I doing here? Further more, I was not wearing my usual clothing. Instead, a beige tube and shorts covered me, complemented with braids and on my hair, which was wrapped in a blue bandana.  
  
A strange spell of dizziness came to me. As I began to collapse, everything around me blurred before I lost consciousness.  
  
***  
  
"You're...not dead?" I heard a familiar voice sound as I came round. I heard the soft splashing of water and felt the soft muddy ground. It was rather peculiar; it seemed as if I had gone through this before. However, my mind was a blank when I tried to recall anything.  
  
With my strength, I got up and opened my eyes. I saw a familiar friend through my goggles, whom I met at the ancient Baaj temple and helped to retrieve an ancient machina but was lost when Sin attacked us then. Feeling the rubber suit on me tightening from exposure to the dry air, I proceeded to take it off. I felt my back for the zip where I pulled it down gently, revealing my orange top and green shorts. Pulling down the suit, I felt comfortable from the cool air of the Moonflow. With recent memories of my mission to save Yunie, I looked at the ground, feeling sad that I had failed.  
  
"Though I was done for, back there," I mumbled to myself, falling to my knees and hands. I saw the star player of the Zanarkand Abes approach me.  
  
"Rikku! You're Rikku!" He exclaimed, excited to see me once again. Deep inside, I was angry with him. He had been my enemy previously, from trying to save Yunie from the machina which I operated. "Hey! You're okay! How you been?"  
  
"Terrible!" I shouted, shaking my head. What had happened earlier was a life-and-death experience; I had tried to swim to safety while avoiding the exploding machina behind me.  
  
"Yeah, you don't look so good." He crouched down on me, trying to find out the truth. "What happened?"  
  
"You beat me up, remember?" I pointed angrily at him, wanting to make him guilty for nearly killing me. He fell back and gave a 'huh?' sound, and stood up again.  
  
"Oh! That machina..." he asked, a little remorseful. "That was you?" I gave a nod, and stood up to place a hand on my forehead, glad that he had indirectly apologized to me.  
  
"That really hurt, you know!" I scolded back to Tidus. "You big meanie!"  
  
"W-wait!" he stammered, trying to reason with me. "But you attacked us first!" He clearly did not understand my intention for kidnapping Yunie.  
  
"Nah-uh," I answered back at him. "It's not exactly what you think." Before we could continue our little 'controversy', I heard a voice from another man. This time a much bigger man than Tidus; he was probably a blitzball player, judging from his body frame.  
  
"Yo!" he shouted out to us as a group followed him behind. I noticed that Yunie was in the group as well. All the members of the group somehow seemed familiar too, but I could not remember where I had met them. The big man came up to us. "Friend of yours?"  
  
"Uh," Tidus paused for a moment. "You could say that." I looked at the group and hopped in front of them. Yunie seemed to recognize me, even though we had not met for about a decade.  
  
"Pleased to meet you!" I introduced myself to the group. "I'm Rikku!" Tidus came up front to the group.  
  
"Yuna...Lulu...I told you about her, remember?" he introduced me to Yuna's group of guardians. "She was the one who helped me before I was washed up on Besaid! She's an Al Bhe...beh..." he stopped suddenly, refusing to disclose my identity. At that instant, I knew that someone in this group was against the Al Bhed. An intuition within told me that this person was the big man whom we talked to earlier on. In my mind, I prayed that he would not try to finish Tidus' unfinished word.  
  
"Wow, so you like, owe her your life! What luck meeting here, ya?" he exclaimed happily instead to my guess. "Praise me to Yevon!" He did the normal prayer gesture of a hardcore Yevonite. I concluded that this man was definitely one of much faith that he would treat all Al Bhed with disdain. "So...uh...Rikku..." he spoke to me. "You look a little beat up! You okay?" I looked at him and recalled that he, together with Tidus, was fighting me in the machina which I controlled to kidnap Yunie. I was giving him an irritated look too. As I gave him my look, the mature-looking lady in a black dress came up to him. Her appearance seemed calm and one who had a lot of life experience.  
  
"Uh, Wakka..."  
  
"Huh? What?"  
  
"There's something we need to discuss," Yunie came up to Wakka, as he was called. He turned to look at her and gave an agreeing signal.  
  
"Oh, go ahead," he agreed, still wanting to remain there with the three of us. It was obvious that I had been offended by not only him attacking me earlier on underwater, but also on probing in our conversations.  
  
"Girls only! Boys please wait over there!" I snapped back at the male section of the group, directing them with my hand.  
  
"Right," she agreed with me. "Sorry, Wakka." This guardian gave a huh and what as we walked away from him. He responded with an 'Ahhh' in disappointment. Somehow, Lulu seemed familiar, like as though I had seen her before. But we had never met since I have never stepped on Besaidian soil.  
  
"Rikku!" Yunie hugged me, unaware that I had kidnapped her previously. "It's been a long while since we met." I giggled as we embraced, looking at Lulu giving us a warm smile back.  
  
"Sorry Yunie," I replied sadly, looking at them. "I'm sorry that I kidnapped you earlier on...."  
  
"It's okay," she replied back with friendliness. "You were just trying to save me."  
  
"Rikku," Lulu interrupted. "Since you kidnapped Lady Yuna, that means you are a....?" I nodded back, disclosing my true identity. The mature woman gave back an 'um'. "Don't tell Wakka your true race; he does not have much love for them."  
  
"Okay, no problem!" I responded enthusiastically. 'Fro tuh'd oui tu cusadrehk vun Yunie pavuna cra kuac?' my conscience suggested to me. Able to decipher what it meant, I turned to her. "Yunie, mind if I become your guardian?" Lulu answered in hesitation.  
  
"Sure, why not?" my cousin of a summoner replied instantly. "But we have to get Sir Auron to approve of you first?" I looked at dismay at her 'condition' for becoming a guardian.  
  
"Sir Auron?" I asked back, his name was super-familiar but I could not remember who he was. "Which of these boys is he? That one in red?" Yuna responded with a nod.  
  
"He's not a boy," she advised. "He's over thirty."  
  
"Is he still available?" I joked, giggling at his stoic behavior, which I observed before returning back to Yunie and Lulu.  
  
"I don't think so," she replied solemnly. "I always saw that he was single but has no interest in love, except to protect his summoner, which was my father. Why? Are you interested in him?"  
  
"Nah!" I answered back humorously. "I already have someone back in Home." I remembered Gippal back then, when we were close friends before he was sent on far-away missions to salvage machina as well.  
  
"I think the boys are getting impatient," Lulu butted in on our small talk. "Both of you can catch up in future." Yunie nodded before the three of us returned to the group.  
  
"Sir Auron..." she went up to the red guardian. "I would like Rikku to be my guardian." He came up close to me. Judging from my frame, he was like a giant to me, one with sunglasses, a bright crimson coat and with a high collar. He looked so dominant and mysterious to me. Trying to avoid his piercing stare from one of his eyes, I looked down at his black boots.  
  
"Show me your face," he bellowed, sounding in a deep, manly voice any woman would want her soul mate to have. I replied with a 'huh?' pretending to ignore his instruction. "Look at me."  
  
"Oh, okay," I replied, looking up with my eyes shut, trying to avoid his penetrating stare.  
  
"Open your eyes," he ordered. I opened one in defiance, still trying to avoid his cold stare. His expression was a little startled before returning back to its original cold form. "As I thought."  
  
"Um...no good?" I asked him, hoping that he would agree to my dutiful request.  
  
"Are you certain?" his voice was cold, but had somehow become a little warm.  
  
"A hundred percent!" I exclaimed back at him with enthusiasm. I could notice a small smile behind his high collar, even though it covered more than half his face. "So anyway...Can I?"  
  
"If Yuna wishes it," he replied, looking at my cousin.  
  
"Yes, I do," she replied at instance. 'Oui feh!' my mind congratulated me for passing the Guardian Approval Test. I noticed Wakka give an Hmph sound before Auron moved away.  
  
"Rikku's a good girl," Tidus put in a good word for me to a somewhat dissatisfied Wakka. "She helped me a bunch!"  
  
"Well, I'm for it!" he replied enthusiastically, accepting me as a co- guardian. "The more, the merrier!"  
  
"Then I'll just have to me the merriest!" I exclaimed back at him, knowing that we could hit it off with our bubbly characters. I felt a bad premonition about this, like something had happened and that we had gone through this before. "Rikku, at your service!" I saluted. We began to proceed down into the path leading to Guadosalam.  
  
***  
  
"Hey, a treasure chest," Tidus exclaimed as he prepared to reach for it. Knowing that no ordinary unskilled person could open it with ease, I stopped him.  
  
"Let me," I spoke as I used my skills, opening the chest easily while avoiding its explosive nature. It opened innocently. With my agility, I grabbed up its precious contents -- an elixir.  
  
"Wow Rikku, how d'ya do that?"  
  
"Skills that we learn," I winked at him, indirectly telling him that we Al Bhed knew how to handle such trivial tasks. I turned to the fiend beside it. "Let's finish it off~!"  
  
Tidus nodded as he lunged towards the fiend, and sent it off with his swiftness and offense. Before it was defeated, I rushed towards it and mugging off another precious item. I turned back to the group. Somehow, I could notice that Auron was smiling behind his collar once again, but quickly returned to his frigid attitude as soon as I caught his eye.  
  
'Fuhtan fro ec ra csemehk du rescamv?' I thought to myself, wondering why I was somehow 'bonded' to this red-clad elder guardian. 'Syopa ra'c syt,' I concluded in my mind, returning to my senses and continuing on the dirt path.  
  
***  
  
It was now night. We would only reach Guadosalam tomorrow, as mentioned by the all-experienced Lulu. Encircled around a campfire, the group joined together to have a quick supper before turning in to arise for an early morning. Yunie, Lulu and I sat together.  
  
"Lulu," I asked the guardian whom I looked up to as a role model. "Was there...any Al Bhed who became a guardian?" The black mage looked at me, and came close to me.  
  
"Yes..." she replied softly, taking a quick glance at the opposite direction before turning back to me. "There was one, ten years ago."  
  
'Dah oaync yku? Fych'd dryd Yunie'c vydran'c bemknesyka?' I asked myself in shock. "If it was ten years ago..." I gave a signal to symbolize Auron. "That means...?"  
  
"You had better not ask him," she warned me. "He's been through a lot."  
  
"Okay then," I responded to her warning. "But what happened to this guardian?"  
  
"I have no idea," she gave her answer, still calm and giving me a good impression as a role model for all guardians. "People said she was killed by the Final Aeon because of her race." I shuddered at her eerie reply. Would that mean that I would be killed too when we arrived at Zanarkand? "Don't think too much," she gave some comforting advice before turning back to see the campfire.  
  
'Yunie...' I looked at my cousin summoner as she sat on the log, her sadness beneath her smiling visage. 'Fa femm tea dukadran...' I turned back to the campfire too, hoping that the fact of summoners dying after calling out the Final Aeon could be proven wrong.  
  
***  
  
The campfire had been extinguished. Assuring everyone that I wanted a few moments of peace before turning in, I sat on the log, appreciating the bright starry sky. A stone's throw away from me, I saw the big crimson guardian leaning against one tree trunk.  
  
"Hey Auron!" he did not respond. This guardian was an introvert sort, refusing to talk to anyone. "Hello?!? Can you hear the words that are comin' out of my mouth?" I bellowed to him, encircling my mouth with my hands in his direction. He finally responded by turning to me.  
  
"Just leave me alone," he snapped back coldly. I stood up and approached him.  
  
"It's not nice to be mean, ya know?" I replied back at him, irate by his frigidity. I gave him a friendly punch on his stomach. His body was not only stiff but physically firm as well. My fist hurt upon impact on his large red coat. A strange shiny hairclip fell from his coat onto the ground, making a slight sound.  
  
"Wow, what's this?" I scrutinized the hairclip as I picked it up. The red- clad man snatched it back with abruptness. "Hey! You don't have ta' be mean!"  
  
"This doesn't concern you," he answered coldly. "A child like you needs rest." I was infuriated at this man. How dare he called me a child, when I was nearly becoming an adult.  
  
"Fine! Suit yourself!" I shouted back, hoping that no one would be woken. As a final resort, I stamped on his hard black boot, causing him to fold a little. I smiled as I returned to my sleeping back, having my sweet revenge against this meanie.  
  
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Okay, end of Chapter One~! 


	2. Reaching Guadosalam

Chapter Two: Reaching Guadosalam Author's Notes: Okay, here is chapter two for all of you. I'm really sorry if I'm unable to express the story fully, 'cause my English isn't that perfect~! And by the way, please go to an Al Bhed translator website to translate the language.  
  
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Reaching Guadosalam  
  
We got up early the next day, continuing on our route to Guadosalam and fighting off a few fiends as well. But I was still annoyed with the so- called legendary guardian. Even when I woke up, he did even bother to offer his apologies to me for insulting me as childish.  
  
'Fryd y lumt, ihvaamehk eteud!' I looked at the crimson man with annoyance. He took one glance at me and returned as soon as a moment passed. "Hu fuhtan oui yna cdemm mavd uh dra cramv!" I cursed him softly.  
  
"Hey, Rikku!" I turned to see Tidus beside me, moving me away from Wakka. "Don't spout Al Bhed here; Wakka doesn't like it. He'll kill ya' if he finds out!"  
  
"Wasn't Yunie's father's guardian an Al Bhed too?" I argued back at the blitzball player. He shrugged his head as we walked on the path.  
  
"Well....." he paused for a while, thinking of a way to counter my statement. "...Wakka still hates the Al Bhed, regardless of the merit that guardian did on the pilgrimage."  
  
"Hmmm...." I thought for a while, looking at Auron. A nudge from Tidus hit me. "Hey!"  
  
"Mesmerized by him huh?" he teased me.  
  
"No way!" I replied back instantly. "If I was mesmerized by him, I shall be struck by lightning!" I made an oath to ensure that my greatest fear would punish me should I fall for that meanie.  
  
"Woo...." He exclaimed, taking one step back. "That old man did something to you?" I gave him an irritated stare.  
  
"If someone called you childish, how would you feel?" I gave a rhetoric question before walking to converse Lulu, my role model.  
  
***  
  
"So Lulu," I changed my subject topic. "What was Lord Braska's Al Bhed guardian like?" The black mage did not respond, pondering for a while.  
  
"She was something like you..." Lulu answered, giving me some shock. "...one with green, swirling eyes but looked more mature than you."  
  
"Wow!" I felt flattered by her. "Twins?"  
  
"I have no idea," she replied. "I was only twelve when Lord Braska and his guardians arrived at Besaid island. I've only caught a glimpse of her before they left for Bevelle."  
  
"Hmm...." I decided to probe into the matter further. "Anything else?"  
  
"Seems like Sir Auron and her were somehow together," she commented. "I saw them together when I caught a glimpse of her." I turned to look at the stoic guardian. He was undaunted by our conversation.  
  
'Ry!' I looked at Auron with an evil eye. 'Huf E ghuf ouin calnad!' I continued to give an evil grin at the man who had called me childish.  
  
"Something's the matter?" Lulu asked coldly, perplexed at my sudden change of expression. I turned to look at her, wanting to find out more about this Al Bhed guardian.  
  
"Lulu, what's her name?" I asked her for the most important part of finding out a person.  
  
"Lyna," she responded softly. "Her name was Lady Lyna." At the moment, I saw Auron's ears move a little. It seemed that he had some special relationship with her, judging that he could detect that Al Bhed guardian's name from the slightest mention of it. The crimson guardian began to slow down a little, coming closer to us. It was time to take out my revenge on him again.  
  
"Hey! This is girls' talk, ya know?" I spoke sarcastically to him. "And not for big big adults like you!"  
  
"You're just been..." Auron gave back a scowl and reply. He may have been angry but seemed to have a rather cute face when he gave a frown.  
  
"Childish? Immature?" I retorted back menacingly. Deep inside, I smiled while avenging what he had insulted me the previous night.  
  
"If you really think so," he gave another cold response. "Then I shall not interfere." The stoical began to move away from us.  
  
"Hey Rikku!" Tidus came up to me once more. "Nice try to speak up against this old man," he gave a thumbs-up. "Everyone listens to him too much, ya know! Only you're rebellious."  
  
"Thanks!" I gave him a high five as our palms collided with each other. From the front, I could see Yunie smiling at our interaction. "Go and talk to Yunie; she seems lonely."  
  
"Okie dokie!" he gave an assurance as he went upfront to see my cousin summoner while we proceeded on the long brown road to Guadosalam.  
  
***  
  
We arrived at a tunnel leading into the realm of the Guados. As we proceeded down, an elderly Guado came up to us, especially to Yunie.  
  
"We been expecting you, Lady Yuna," the Guado spoke with respect. "This way, my lady. This way."  
  
"Me?" Yunie asked the Guado one more time. Without warning, he prepared to reach out to her by his hand but Wakka blocked him with a strong arm.  
  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Wakka protected Yunie from the Guado's reach. He bowed in front of the group.  
  
"Oh, I beg your pardon. I am called Tromell Guado," he introduced himself, and with an air of sub ordinance. "I am in direct service of our leader, the great Seymour Guado," he explained his status. "Lord Seymour has very important business with Lady Yuna."  
  
"Business with me?" Yunie enquired more, confused that this Seymour guy wanted to have an audience with her. "Whatever could it be, I wonder?"  
  
"Please, come inside the manor," he directed the way with his hand. "All will be explained." This Tromell Guado took one irritated look at me in the eyes before turning back to Yunie. "Of course, your friends are also welcome." He walked away, with everyone following him, leaving Tidus and I alone.  
  
"Twist our arms, why don't ya?" I turned to him, and remembered an important task to tell him. "Ah, I almost forgot!" Grabbing his attention, I began to tell how I could customize the weapons in this group with my Al Bhed skills. As soon as it was over, I gave him a wink before running off in the direction of the manor. "What would you do without me?"  
  
I arrived at the manor of Seymour Guado. It had a rather large façade, surpassing the other homes located within its vicinity.  
  
"Where's Tidus?" Lulu turned to me as the group looked at me for his whereabouts.  
  
"Over there, I think," I pointed to my back. "He probably gone to enquire about something with some old scholar at the other corner; he should be here as soon as possible." Lulu replied with a yes before she turned towards Yunie as we waited for the manor doors to open. I looked at Auron. Ever since we had reached Guadosalam, his face was not as frigid as it was previously. He showed an expression of thinking.  
  
'Cu Auron'c drehgan...' I concluded, acquiring more knowledge of his character. 'Sicd ryja paah cusa zang frah ra fyc ouihk!' I cursed him mentally. He looked up at me and turned his head down again. That sign of indifference was making me very annoyed. I came near him, pretending to walk in circles to kill time.  
  
"Jerk!" I cursed at him audibly as I came near him. As I turned away from him, I felt happy having my revenge again. As I came back, I saw the manor doors open. Happy that we could go in, I hopped happily into the manor behind the group.  
  
***  
  
We waited in the lobby area. Soon, Tidus came back to us. Tromell came up to us once more, directing us.  
  
"This way please," he showed us the way as we entered another room full of food on the table. "I will go inform Lord Seymour. Please wait here." As soon as the creepy Guado servant was gone, I ran over to the table. As I looked behind, I saw Tidus walk up to the red-clad stiffie, engaging in a conversation. Without caring less for what was happening, I took the abundance of food on the table and began to eat.  
  
"Rikku," I heard Yunie's voice beside me. "We should be polite and not take these foods out of courtesy for Maester Seymour." I turned to her, my mouth full of food.  
  
"Yunie," I questioned her. "Any idea who this Lyna was?"  
  
"Lady Lyna you mean?" she replied back, turning to see Auron still talking to the blitzball player. "I only know that she was my father's guardian, and because she was Al Bhed, I had more reason to take you in as a guardian."  
  
"Nono..." I spoke, pausing to chew on the food. "I mean....was she related to Auron?"  
  
"I have no idea," she shook her head. "All I know was that she tried to open Sir Auron up."  
  
"Wow!" I replied. "Tell me more please...!"  
  
"Well..." Yunie thought for a while. "I guess she tried to make Sir Auron more involved in conversation when my father stopped for a while at Bevelle before he advanced to the Calm Lands."  
  
"Not that kind..." I retorted back, wondering why Yunie could not get it. "I mean love."  
  
"Love?" she looked at me in disbelief. "I don't think so; Lady Lyna didn't seem to take an interest in Sir Auron at all...although...."  
  
"Although what?" I interrupted her, becoming nosier by the minute.  
  
"From the way he behaved," Yunie answered with a conclusion. "I supposed he had a crush on her."  
  
'Pehku!' I congratulated myself as I had managed to squeeze from my cousin some more about this mysterious Al Bhed guardian who traveled ten years ago. "Thanks, Yunie!" I turned back to her, with her bowing her head and returning to Kimahri's side. At this moment, I began to notice that Kimahri had spoken a single word since I had joined the party. Further more, he seemed to take a dislike to me from the look on his ever-sad face. 'E cruimt dymg du Kimahri cusatyo,' I instructed myself. 'Pid Auron lusac vencd!' I continued my eating.  
  
"Mmmm! This is good!" I tried to entice Tidus to eat the food as he came near me. But he turned and looked up at the ceiling. Following him, I looked up too. Three large clear balls hanging from there had began to glow. I heard the door open and turned to see Tromell coming out.  
  
"Truly, it is good to have guests again," he complimented the group. "Since Lord Jyscal passed away, these halls have been too quiet." He looked a little sad, probably unhappy from the death of an influential Guado.  
  
"The death of Lord Jyscal was a great loss for all of Spira," Yunie comforted the Guado servant with her compassionate words. As she comforted him, I saw Tidus move near Wakka.  
  
"Was this Maester Jyscal really such a great guy?" he queried the anti-Al Bhed from Besaid.  
  
"He brought the teachings of Yevon to the Guado," Wakka replied to his question. "He was truly a great man." Tromell overheard the conversation and came near to them.  
  
"Truly, a loss for us all," he spoke, with a little sadness. "But now a new leader, Lord Seymour, has come before us," he gave some words of hope for the Guado. "Lord Seymour is the child of a Guado and a human. He will be the tie that binds our two races together. But that is not all, I think," he began to praise this half-Guado, half-human Seymour. "Lord Seymour...He will surely become the shining star that lights the way for all the peoples of Spira."  
  
"That is enough, Tromell," a tall man with the looks of both a Guado and human came into the room. It was definitely Seymour Guado. I approved of him as he produced refined looks that any master should have, but looked rather familiar as well. The thought was banished as I was unable to recall anything. "Must I always endure such praise?" he asked rhetorically as he showed us the prayer gesture of Yevon. "Welcome!"  
  
"You...wanted to see me?" Yunie approached him, curious to know his intentions.  
  
"Please," Seymour replied to her. "Make yourselves at home. There's no rush." He gave us a smile to assure us that he was of no harm. Auron came near to them.  
  
"Please keep this short," he gave the maester a request. "Yuna must rush." I looked at him in annoyance once more.  
  
'Auron, lyh'd oui crid ib vun uhla?' I scolded him with my mind. 'Ed fuh'd rind du cdyo, oy ghuf?' Seymour turned to the crimson guardian with respect.  
  
"Pardon me," he gave a slight bow. "It has been a long time since I have guests. Lady Yuna, this way," he showed Yunie the passageway deep into his manor. We followed the maester into a dark room. Suddenly, the place lit up as the ceiling above us turned into a dark night sky, with pyreflies looking like the flaming rocks that would occasionally fly to the ground from the sky.  
  
"This sphere is a reconstruction created from the thoughts of the dead on the farplane," Seymour introduced as the area around us turned into a massive city, with beautiful tall buildings, a water arch that flew over the area. People of ancient clothing walked past in some buildings with beautiful internal architecture and of a voice sounding from a machina. I looked at Auron and saw that he was rather sad but had no idea what was going on.  
  
"Zanarkand!" Tidus gave a shout, jumping for a joy as he enjoyed the view. Seymour turned to look at the boy from Zanarkand.  
  
"Correct," Seymour responded to his cry. "Zanarkand...as it looked one thousand years ago." I turned to look at the now-sad Auron, who seemed to be thinking of some other crap. A whoa from Wakka made me return to my senses and to Yunie and Seymour. "The great and wondrous machina city, Zanarkand," he explained further. "She once lived in the metropolis." I noticed Auron making another rare smile, but that of an insolent one.  
  
"She, who?" Yunie asked, turning to the maester. He did not respond and soon we were in a large room that overlooked the city of Zanarkand. As I looked, I saw a woman in little clothing, sitting on a bed, her white long hair flowing down her back. "Lady Yunalesca!" my cousin exclaimed.  
  
'Fryd y sehida...' I scrutinized the woman sitting on the bed. 'Ed muugc mega E ryt caah ran pavuna eh naym-meva un cusadrehk mega dryd...' I tried to find out where I had seen her but could not recall.  
  
"She was the first person to defeat Sin and save the world from its ravages," Seymour continued his elaboration. "And you had inherited her name," he looked down at Yunie.  
  
"It was my father who named me," Yunie answered.  
  
"Lord Braska was entrusting you with a great task. He wanted you to face Sin, as Lady Yunalesca did," he spoke to Yunie, telling her of her probable goal. "However, Lady Yunalesca did not save the world alone. To defeat the undefeatable Sin..." he gave another prayer action to show respect. "It took an unbreakable bond of love -- of the kind that binds two hearts for eternity."  
  
As I looked, I saw a man in grand clothing walk near Lady Yunalesca. She stood up and hugged him. I shifted my gaze to Yunie, who was looking at Maester Seymour. She returned her look to the couple of Zanarkand and turned back again to face the half-Guado. He leaned over and whispered something into her ears. As soon as he had whispered his words, the maester moved away and nodded, leaving Yunie a little listless. Ensuring that I did not play gooseberry, I walked to one side of the room waiting for her. The room returned to its original form, with my cousin summoner and Seymour in the middle of the room, and the rest of us by the walls. She walked towards us and took a drink from the table of good. Having a good drink, Yunie approached us slowly. At that moment, I commented on something I noticed on her.  
  
"Wow! Your face is beet-red!" I teased her blushing face. Tidus came up beside me.  
  
"You okay?" he asked. Yunie looked at her guardian.  
  
"He...he asked me to marry him!" she stammered, her face still red.  
  
"You serious?" he asked her shockingly.  
  
"You know what Yuna must do," Auron spoke as he approached Seymour. He gave me one stare and looked at the maester again.  
  
"Of course," Seymour responded. "Lady Yuna -- no, all summoners -- are charged with bringing peace to Spira," he continued his reasons. "But this means more than just defeating Sin. She must ease the suffering of Spira. She must be a leader for the people," he elaborated. "I proposed to Lady Yuna as a maester of Yevon."  
  
"Spira is no playhouse," Auron retorted back, warning him of Yunie's fate. "A moment's diversion may amuse the audience, but it changes nothing."  
  
'Ur l'suh...fro yna oui dryd caneuic?' I taunted Auron in my mind, looking at him with tricky eyes. 'Pid oui'na nekrd eh cdubbehk Yunie vnus synnoehk cusauha cra tuach'd muja...' I gave my agreeing view with him mentally.  
  
"Even so," Seymour argued back. "The actors must play their parts." He kept quiet and walked over to the summoner. "There's no need to answer right away," he assured her. "Please, think it over."  
  
"We will do so, then," Auron replied sharply at him. "We leave." He moved out to the door of the manor. I followed behind the group as they followed the stoic 'jerk' out of the manor.  
  
"Lady Yuna, I await your favourable reply," I heard Seymour requesting Yunie. It was so noble. He turned his attention to Auron, who was at the front. "Why are you still here, sir?" he seemed to produce a sarcastic tone. Auron turned.  
  
"I beg your pardon?" Auron asked frigidly. Seymour looked at him with a little concern and with a grin.  
  
"We Guado are keen to the scent of the Farplane."  
  
I saw Tidus walk up to Auron and sniffed him. It was a funny sight for that red-clad guardian pushed the boy away and left the building in a huff. In secrecy, I giggled for a while. As I proceeded to exit the manor, I heard Seymour come near me.  
  
"You look very young," he asked me. "Are you a guardian?"  
  
"Well, yes!" I replied to him, with a smile on my face, giving a salute. "At Yunie's service!" He looked at me directly in the eyes, which made me shudder. I took a step back.  
  
"Ah...an Al Bhed," he commented as he came closer. "Following in the steps of Lady Lyna?"  
  
"Y-you know her?" I stumbled at his knowledge of her.  
  
"Why not?" he spoke. "She was the only Al Bhed to have become a legendary guardian. But she disappeared as soon as Lord Braska summoned the Final Aeon." I felt a tug on one pin on my hair as it came off. My hair, neatly tied in a bun, was released and came down.  
  
"Hey!" I yelled at him, while trying to hold up my hair. "That wasn't nice!"  
  
"My apologies," he spoke in a gentlemanly way as he handed me back my hairpin. With swiftness, I tied back my hair in no time. "That legendary guardian's waiting for you," he pointed to my behind. I turned to see Auron at the door. He was looking rather cross.  
  
"Rikku," he admonished. "If you wish to be left behind, go ahead." Auron left the manor.  
  
"You don't have to be that mean..." I mumbled behind his back. Giving a simple wave to maester Seymour, I followed the stoic guardian behind. I was greeted with the other guardians.  
  
"Come on, let's get on with this pilgrimage!" Tidus said in a rather calm way, with a little bitterness in his tone. "I mean, marriage?"  
  
"Hmmmm," I taunted him. "Jealous?"  
  
"What? No way!" he replied back at instance. "We gonna' defeat Sin. Romance can wait!" We began our discussion on Yunie's marriage.  
  
***  
  
"Aren't you coming?" Tidus asked Auron as we moved up to the portal to the Farplane.  
  
"I do not belong there," he replied abruptly.  
  
"You're scared," Tidus taunted. Auron gave a scowl to him.  
  
"Searching the past to find the future..." he answered. "That is all that is there. I need it not. You'd better be going." I decided to tell Tidus more about my beliefs of the Farplane and approached him.  
  
"You're not really going to see the dead, more like memories of them," I gave my view. "People think that of their relatives and the pyreflies react to them. They take on the form of the dead person -- an illusion, nothing else."  
  
"Hmmm..." Tidus looked at me.  
  
"Well, have fun!" I assured him as I stood by the portal.  
  
"What, you're not going either, Rikku?"  
  
"I keep my memories inside," I pointed to my head, showing my disbelief in the Farplane. Tidus gave a huh. "Memories are nice, but that's all they are." Tidus proceeded to enter the Farplane. As for me, I was sitting beside a grumpy and anti-social guardian who simply stared at the ground.  
  
"Hi! I'm Rikku," I stretched out my hand in peace as I looked at the guardian who gave a grumpy look again.  
  
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Okay, end of chapter! See you soon~! I'm sorry if this has too little Aurikku content but there will be soon in the next chapter because I need to form some basics in the story. Until then, see ya~! 


	3. Conversation outside the Farplane

Chapter Three: The Conversation  
Author's Notes -- Hmm...This is gettin' interesting. From this on, the truth will unfold and more Aurikku content will be developed. Have fun!  
  
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The Conversation  
  
Auron turned to look at me, with a grumpy look on his face. I repeated my introduction once again.  
  
"You already said that before," he responded harshly. "And please leave me alone." I gave him an irate look, but he was oblivious of his surroundings.  
  
"Hey, mister," I glared at him, my arms akimbo. "Do you need to be that cold for just a simple introduction?"  
  
"I don't need introduction," he replied back. "My cause is to only serve Lady Yuna as a guardian." He turned away from me, looking at the other side.  
  
"Even if you were only here to serve Yunie," I felt like giving him a lecture of my own. "You should mix around with all! Look, everyone's socializing! Why aren't ya?"  
  
"I have better things to do than to talk nonsensical things," he snapped back.  
  
"Why?" I shouted back at him. "Just because you are kept in that stupid secret world with a dead Al Bhed girl?" He turned around, showing his displeasure.  
  
"Look young girl," he argued back, giving me a piercing stare through his lone eye. "Never insult a legendary guardian." I saw how well he protected this Lady Lyna, even if she was not around.  
  
"Okok! Whatever!" I gave up at trying talking to this guardian. As I turned, I gave him one more kick at his leg but it was too strong to collapse. I yowled in pain as I limped back to the other side of the platform.  
  
***  
  
'E pad hu uha femm ajan mega oui!' I cursed at him, looking at him with annoyance. The crimson guardian ignored my anger and continued to look down. As I looked forward, Auron began to feel for something in his coat. He took out a glittering, golden object which made my eyes widen.  
  
"Hey! How did you take my watch from me?" I screamed at him as I snatched the golden mechanical watch from him. His face showed a little expression of perplexity. "You're a real trickster, I must say!"  
  
"That isn't your watch," he retorted as he grabbed the watch from my hands. "Don't just accuse anyone of theft!" I felt for my pocket and found that my watch was still there. I was puzzled. How did Vydran make two identicals of a watch? I took out my golden watch from the pocket.  
  
"Hey! Who gave you that watch?" I held up mine to him. His eye widened as he scrutinized the watch in his hands. "My Vydran said that there was only one kind!"  
  
"Some secrets cannot be divulged," he replied coldly.  
  
"You'd better tell!" I warned him, looking at him angrily. At that moment, my mind solved the mystery. 'Banrybc ed fyc Lyna!' I thought to myself as I deduced that the watch had come from an Al Bhed. "When did you get the watch?" I interrogated him.  
  
"I cannot say it," he answered defiantly. "I have the right not to say it." I grabbed the watch from his big hand. With nimbleness, I opened the cover of both watches gently and was shocked at what I saw.  
  
Both watches were ticking at the same time. Even the second hand, the hardest to synchronize between watches, was moving in unison with the second hair of the other watch. 'Ruf lyh drec pa?' I wondered, looking at the miracle. Auron's watch, however, had lost its shiny glow from age, compared to my new and golden one. I stretched out my hand to return him the watch. With swiftness, he took the watch and quickly placed it behind his coat. Following that, he began to be lost in thought once again.  
  
"Something's wrong?" I asked him, feeling a little hypocritical. With a little acting skill, I pretended to slip in front of him. I felt his hand grabbing mine.  
  
"Be careful," he warned. I noticed that he was still holding my hand, my small hand against his big one, and upon looking up to him, a blushing visage greeted me behind the tall collar. As soon as his sight caught mine, he released his grip on me. "My apologies," he directed his look elsewhere, still embarrassed from what had happened.  
  
"Hey Auron, turn back," I requested him as he turned. His face was still red, though his expression was back to that of a cold one. "We should have gotten a sphere to get that cute blushing face of yours," I look at him, trying to act seductive in front of him. My mind agreed with me, "Ra'c xieda lida cusaruf..."  
  
"P-please l-leave me alone!" he stumbled on his words, somehow giving a scared kitten look behind his high collar. In my mind I was laughing at him. To think that the great legendary guardian was actually a shy one! At this time, he was greatly photogenic for such sights. "Just go back..." he was calm again, putting back on his social wall. I interrupted him by pretending to fall against him, ensuring that my chest hit against his slung arm in his coat. I looked up to see his face turning more crimson than ever.  
  
'Drec ec dra banvald najahka vun cilr y zang mega oui!' I schemed as I planned my next move. "Oh Auron..." I began to change my tone into a seductive one, beginning to rub his thighs, as believed by Al Bhed myths to be one of the most sensitive parts of the body. His social wall collapsed temporarily as his expression changed into that of a shy one. "...You are so good-looking and I'm in love with you..." I continued to seduce him, testing his tolerance for seduction.  
  
"J-just g-go...." He began to push me away, probably in a state of panic. I continued to touch him, leaning my small frame against his gigantic physique. I could felt heat emanating from him; he was aroused but simply resisting all temptations. Impressed by his tolerance of seduction, I backed away.  
  
"Hahahahahaha!" I laughed at him, pointing one finger. "You're really such a fool! To think you can stammer when you are seduced!" Showing my trick, he looked at me angrily.  
  
"What exactly were you doing?" he gave me an angry glare. "Rikku, do not play around on your pilgrimage," He warned me as he walked to the other side of the platform. I continued to laugh, enjoying the game that I had just played.  
  
***  
  
"Hey Auron," I approached him again as he turned away. "Okay! I'm sorry for making fun of ya'! A hundred percent sorry!" I gave him a salute. He refused to respond.  
  
"Hey, I said I was sorry!" I was angry at his refusal to reply. "Can't believe that such a coldy like you can be so petty too!" I cursed at him before walking back.  
  
"Perhaps I shouldn't have agreed to let you become a guardian," he replied coldly, his back still facing me.  
  
"What?!? Just because I'm an Al Bhed?" I yelled back.  
  
"It's not that," he answered. "You will suffer if you follow us on this pilgrimage."  
  
"I see...how caring of you," I replied with irony. "Meanie!"  
  
"Leave now if you don't want to end up like Lady Lyna," he warned.  
  
"I'm determined to be Yunie's guardian," I spoke up to him. "Even if death is the result!" I proved my will of determination to him.  
  
"Very well," he concluded. "As you wish."  
  
"Hey Auron," I snapped. "Why did you agree to Yunie marrying when you knew she didn't like him?"  
  
"As long as it doesn't hinder the journey," he answered. "I would not object to it." I looked at him with anger; he clearly did not understand the meaning of love.  
  
"You're such a meanie!" I cursed again. "To think that you only care about her pilgrimage! I bet you didn't even really love anyone! Even if you liked Lyna, I bet she would have ditched you for your heartlessness!" I noticed that Auron had become silent again.  
  
"Okok!" I apologized. "Sorry that I mentioned your dead co-guardian's name!"  
  
"She's not dead," he replied frigidly. "Just somewhere in Spira." I noticed that he had refused to believe that this Lyna was dead. At once, I saw Auron beginning to move away.  
  
"Hey, where are ya going?" I asked him. He looked back at me, emanating a manly charm.  
  
"I'll be back soon," he replied. "If Yuna's out, tell her to go on first. I'll catch up with her!" He quickly ran back into Guadosalam.  
  
"Hey wait...!" I wanted to stop him but it was too late. 'E fuhtan frana fyc ra kuehk?' I thought to myself as I waited for Yunie to come out.  
  
***  
  
"Hey, you're back!" I exclaimed as I saw him return. He was looking rather stressed, carrying his large sword in his hand and showing off an expression of sadness.  
  
I turned back to see Yunie emerge from the portal. 'Braf! Cra'c uid!' I heaved a sigh of relief at my patience for waiting.  
  
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Okay, this is quite short but concentrates on the conversation. Okay, see ya soon! 


	4. Exiting Guadosalam

Chapter Four: Moving out of Guadosalam and to the Thunder Plains  
Author's Notes: Okay, here is more of the story. Please mail me...if you are confused and impatient for the story to unfold by itself, thank you.  
  
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Out of Guadosalam  
  
"Thanks for waiting!" Yunie came to Auron and me, giving a small bow. "I'll go give my answer to Maester Seymour." As she proceeded to walk over to the manor, we heard several other Guados gasp from the portal of the Farplane. Curious to know what had happened, I looked up to see the commotion as did the rest of the group. I gave a gasp too as I saw a ghostly figure attempting to exit the portal.  
  
"Lord Jyscal?!" a Guado backed away from the scene, still shocked from what was happening.  
  
"Lord Jyscal!" Yunie exclaimed as she identified the ghostly figure trying to escape. He gave an 'ughh' sound, giving me the creeps.  
  
"It does not belong here," Auron spoke suddenly.  
  
'Vun uhla Auron,' I looked at him, agreeing with his point. 'Oui'na nekrd! Kad dryd lnaabo drehk yfyo!' I was still afraid of 'Lord Jyscal' still attempting to escape the Farplane.  
  
"Why?" Yunie asked him.  
  
'Yunie,' I tried to scold my cousin mentally. 'Caht res yfyo; ra'c gehty' lnaabo!'  
  
"Yuna, send him," Auron advised her. At that point of time, I agreed with him fully. Yunie gave a nod and walked up the steps, and began to perform her sending. As I looked behind, I saw Auron crouching down as if he was in pain.  
  
'Oui tacanja ed,' I cursed him as I turned back to observe the sending. 'Sayhea!'  
  
"Lord Jyscal..." Yunie came near to him.  
  
"He's Lord Jyscal no more. Send him now!" Lulu interrupted her. Yunie turned to agree and continued her dancing. Within moments, 'Lord Jyscal' was turned into pyreflies, dropping a blue and compact sphere. As she picked it up, I turned back to see the wimpy red guardian. He looked like as though he was alright already.  
  
'Fryd y robulneda!' I despised him for pretending to fall on his knees and faking his pain. He came up to us.  
  
"Talk later," he instructed Yunie. "We leave now." My cousin agreed as we proceeded to exit the area, which had given me the creeps.  
  
"Wh...What was that just now?" Wakka asked as we continued on our journey back to Guadosalam. "That really Lord Jyscal?"  
  
"I don't understand how a man like Lord Jyscal could die and not be sent," Yunie spoke as she was confused at the event earlier on.  
  
"I would think that he was sent once..." Lulu replied with her assumption. "But he stayed on in Spira. Something, a powerful emotion could have bound him to this world. Such things happen."  
  
"That's against the rules, isn't it?" I asked, wondering how he could have been unsent.  
  
"It means that he died an unclean death," Auron deduced as we treaded on the soft dirt path leading to Guadosalam.  
  
***  
  
We arrived back at the manor. Yunie turned to us and took a deep breath. "I will go...meet with Maester Seymour," she disclosed her intentions, and turned back to the manor doors.  
  
"Yuna!" the red-clad guardian called her back. "Jyscal is the Guado's problem, not yours." But it was too late, for Yunie had entered the manor. I noticed that Auron was going somewhere else again. Feeling irritated by his presence, I walked in the opposite direction.  
  
'Rikku...' a voice sounded within my mind. It sounded like that of Seymour's.  
  
'What?' I replied back mentally.  
  
'As a friend, I've come to warn you.'  
  
'What warning?'  
  
'If you do see a girl,' the voice sounded in my head as I walked. 'Do be wary of her for she is destroyer of the Al Bhed.'  
  
'That means...?'  
  
'Yes, she's an unsent. A very dangerous one, has short brown hair, complete with a light green scarf wrapped between her arms and back,' he gave me the description. 'Don't say that I didn't warn you; goodbye.' I felt the voice leave my mind.  
  
'Fryd rukfycr fyc Seymour dymgehk ypuid?' I thought to myself as I tried to decipher what he had just spoken to me telepathically. "Ur, frydajan!" I rolled my eyes as I turned back to the manor.  
  
"Fryd tet ra cyo du oui?" I heard a voice from my side. It was the same manly voice from the guardian in red. I felt rather shocked at his proficiency in Al Bhed.  
  
"Y-you k-know Al Bhed?" I asked him in curiosity.  
  
"That is not important," he came up to me, ensuring that I was dwarfed beneath him. "What did he say?"  
  
"Who?" I was annoyed at his crazy question.  
  
"Don't joke with me," he warned, piercing my eyes with his glare. "The person who had just talked to you mentally."  
  
"Oh...." I was enlightened but stuck my tongue out at him. "Even if you wanna' know, I won't even tell you."  
  
"If you don't want to," he threatened, suddenly grabbing both of my hands. "Then I would have to..."  
  
"Hey!" I interrupted him, trying to break free of his powerful fists. "If you are gonna' do this, I shall tell that you're molesting me!" He instantly let go. 'Fryd y tisp bancuh!' I called him names as he was rather fatuous in thinking that he could be accused of harassment, given his upright character. As soon as he released my grip, I kicked him in the leg again and ran off to the manor to get Yunie.  
  
***  
  
As I entered the manor, I saw Yunie looking at a portrait in the manor. Seymour, however, was nowhere to be seen. She seemed to be talking to it. As I got closer, I could see that it was the spirit that tried to escape -- Lord Jyscal. I came up beside her and noticed that Tidus had come into the manor too.  
  
"Lord Jyscal, please tell me," she was conversing to a non-living picture. "What can I do to help?"  
  
"Yuna, let's go!" I spoke to help her return to her senses. She did the prayer thing to the portrait and followed me out of the manor. Outside the place, the group had assembled once again.  
  
"They say Seymour went to Macarena Temple," Tidus told the group. I giggled as he had mispronounced the word of this special place.  
  
"Macalania Temple," Wakka corrected him, giving a slight laugh. The blitzball player gave an aye. "What I don't get is ..." Wakka asked the group. "Why would the lord maester head off without a peep to anyone?"  
  
"Maybe he wasn't expecting Yuna's answer so soon," I suggested a suitable reason for his sudden departure.  
  
"Ah, that's probably it," he gave a rejoinder. I noticed that Yunie gave a short laugh at us, which sounded like she was exhausted. The big red meanie walked over to her.  
  
"Yuna, what is it?" he asked his summoner.  
  
"Oh, nothing," she replied.  
  
"Hmm...you are a poor liar," he deduced.  
  
'Robulneda...' I looked at his words with disdain. "Oui yna y pyt meyn duu!'  
  
"It's true. It's nothing!" Yuna protested back. She walked along the exit to Guadosalam. "Come on, let's go." I agreed as I followed her out of Guadosalam.  
  
***  
  
We proceeded along to the next destination, my most feared one -- the Thunder Plains. Thankfully, night was coming and it would take another day to reach the area. We prepared a new campsite again.  
  
I looked at my sleeping bag. It looked so comfy and soft. Creeping into the bag, I looked beside me. Lulu was on one side and so was Yunie on the other side. It had been rather long since the three of us had slept together under the same starry sky.  
  
"Lulu..." I mumbled, trying to wake her up. She did, opening one eye.  
  
"Something's the matter?" she asked. I looked at the other side, observing Auron performing nightwatch before turning back to her.  
  
"I wonder whose Auron's type..." I muttered, wondering what kind of knowledge she had about the crimson stoical.  
  
"Someone outspoken I suppose," she assumed. "Lady Lyna was one, from my past experience of seeing her."  
  
"He seems rather faithful," I whispered to her. "He didn't like it when I badmouthed her."  
  
"Perhaps that's true love for him," she responded.  
  
"Hmm...." I pondered.  
  
"You like him?" Lulu butted in. I gave my instant reply.  
  
"Yucks!" I scoffed. "He's not even attractive; how can I like him?"  
  
"Well...love ignores all physical appearances," she answered. "As the saying goes that it is blind." I felt a tingling sound in my ear, making me sleepy.  
  
"Okay, Lulu," I spoke sleepily. "Let's talk some other day, good night!" I drew the cover over me. I heard the tingling sound until I fell unconsciously into sleep.  
  
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Okay, that's for chapter four. See you soon~! 


	5. A Peculiar Dream

Chapter Five -- A Peculiar Dream  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, here's one more installment of this story. I hope that you can enjoy it. Anyway, I was choosing to keep my story original, that's why I did not inserted Al Bhed translations for the story. By the way, the story below has a bit of FFVIII influence.  
  
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A Peculiar Dream  
  
I looked everywhere to find myself in a room. As I prepared to leave it, the door swung open to reveal a man in summoner clothing, complemented with his braided silvery hair.  
  
"Could you do a favor for me?" he requested.  
  
"What favor?" I asked.  
  
"Would you mind going to the Grand Hall?" he explained. "We need to leave Bevelle tonight."  
  
'Bevelle?' I thought to myself in shock. 'Ruf tet E kad rana?' I looked out at one window, showing a bright full moon emanating its light over the great city, capital of the Yevon religion.  
  
"Would you mind?" he asked again. At this moment, I looked down to see that I was wearing something different. Instead of my orange top and green bottom, a purple gown covered my body. I looked back at the summoner, and pointed to my eyes.  
  
"I understand," he spoke, taking out a shiny green mask with a grey material covering the eye-holes. "Wear this on and nobody will be able to recognize you." I nodded and put it on, enveloping my sight in light grey.  
  
"And yes," the summoner spoke behind me as I prepared to exit. "The person I'm looking for is a man in red." I gave another nod and scurried out of the room. As I exited, a great corridor appeared in front of me. The floor was of black marble tiles, and revealed the Bevellen skyline on one side.  
  
'Drec ec vecro,' I thought again. 'Syh eh nat...gehty' vysemeyn...' I hurried across the corridor before I fell down. At this time, I noticed that I was wearing shoes that raised my feet at the heel. It was practically troublesome to run. Removing the shoes and holding them, I ran across the cold hard floor with my strong legs and bare feet. Reaching a door that spanned a height up to the ceiling, I put back on my shoes before giving the door a slight push.  
  
A magnificent large room showed itself. In it, people were dancing and enjoying themselves. The mystery of me wearing such clothing was solved; every woman in the place was wearing just like me. As I walked along the walls of the room, a feeling of being watched filled me. My sight caught the target I had wanted.  
  
The man was wearing a red coat; his coat looked the same as Auron's. He showed an expression of boredom through his round, brown eyes. A neatly- tied ponytail, from his hair, lay on his shoulder. Sure that this was the man, I approached him.  
  
'Hmm...Hud y pyt bancuh...' I decided to 'appraise' this refined-looking person. 'Ra syo pa faynehk mega Auron pid ra'c cu silr tevvanahd vnus dryd sayhea!' He saw me as I came closer to him.  
  
"Hey hi!" I stretched out my hand. He looked elsewhere.  
  
"If you are looking for a partner," he spoke coldly. "Please search for someone else." He was obviously playing tough to get.  
  
"Someone...a summoner with silvery hair," I gave him my reason for coming, which made him turn back to me. "He needs to see you."  
  
"Summoner with silvery hair?!? he spoke, in which I froze at his words. "Where is he?"  
  
I pointed to the door exit, and to my dismay it was guarded. This man was definitely trying to get away soon. As he began to move away, I pulled him back.  
  
"Not so fast!" I dragged him back. "How are ya' going to exit?"  
  
"I'll force my way through!"  
  
"That's stupid," I shook my head. "We have to find another exit, but discreetly of course." I scouted the room for another exit and found one at the other end of the room, in which people posed as an obstacle.  
  
"I'll just go," he replied, moving away again. "Thank you for your help."  
  
"Wait!" I accosted him. "There can be a better way."  
  
"What's your proposal?" he responded in an irritated way. I began to brainstorm for a while before I had an idea.  
  
"Blend with the crowd," I gave my proposal. "Then we can make our way to the exit!"  
  
"I-I can't dance," he spoke, rejecting my idea of dancing and blending into the dancing group of people. I felt real annoyed at his pessimism. Without due warning, I grabbed his arm and pulled him into the crowd.  
  
((For this scene, you could imagine FFVIIII's 'Waltz for the Moon'))  
  
As we danced in the middle of the room, I could sense that he was something like that of Auron. From the way he danced, stiffness was always the way he did that. From the movement of his steps, this man was definitely one who caught the eyes of others with perplexity. In no time, we made our way to the door. With a slight push, I opened it and pulled the crimson man through it. The summoner greeted us as we exited the large room. My 'partner' came over to the summoner.  
  
"My lord!" he exclaimed. "It's good that you are here."  
  
"It's good that you came out," the summoner answered with a smile. "Thanks to this fine lady for bring him out. I knew that he would never shirk his duty of watching the celebration."  
  
"Don't mention it!" I replied with a smile while giggling.  
  
"Young lady, what's your name?" the summoner asked me.  
  
"Oh, it's nothing much...further more I'm just a nobody," I replied before running back into the room. As I looked behind, I could see that the crimson man had actually wanted to stop me from returning. As I re-opened the doors, a blinding white flash blinded my eyes.  
  
***  
  
I stirred to find myself out in the open again. Heaving a sigh of relief that it was just a dream, I turned to see Lulu was still asleep. The sky was a deep blue, indicating that dawn would begin soon. Feeling restless, I got up to see that Auron was still standing guard.  
  
'Tuach'd ra ajan vaam denat?' I thought to myself, still looking at the red- clad guardian. As expected, he turned to look at me.  
  
"Why are you up so early?" he interrogated me.  
  
"Excuse me?!?" I was shocked at his nosiness. "A human has the right to decide the time of waking or sleeping!" He remained silent, returning his gaze back to detect any nearby dangers. As I looked at him, I began to feel nostalgic. Feeling like getting him to open up socially, I came near him.  
  
"Is there a need to come that close?" he spoke coldly.  
  
"Yes," I decided to oppose his 'commands'. "Whether you like it or not."  
  
"I'm busy," he declared, returning his gaze to detection.  
  
"You know Auron," I began to speak. "Your lone eye remind me of one guy back home," I began to think of my close buddy Gippal, who had always wanted to oppose Yevon's anti-machina teachings.  
  
"Does it concern me?" he replied harshly.  
  
"Maybe," I decided to speak to him in all sorts of silly ways. "So Auron, could you tell me about this Lady Lyna?"  
  
"She does not have anything in relation to you," he answered. "Why should I tell you?"  
  
"Because we are from the same race?" I replied back, making his face light up. "Just tell me!" I demanded as he looked down.  
  
"Okay," he replied. "She's an Al Bhed who's mature although she's only two years older than you. And a whole lot better than your childish behavior!" I was once again inflamed by his mention of calling me childish.  
  
"Aren't you more childish?" I decided to fight back his indirect insults. "You're just a guardian who simply builds himself a social wall so that he can imagine that he would be with a dead person."  
  
"Don't..." he gave a threatening look at me. "...call her dead." I took a step back while trying to get back at the scarlet-coat meanie.  
  
"Aww...fine!" I rolled my eyes backwards. "You're such a killjoy!" I was angry unable to find out more about this mysterious Lady Lyna everyone had respected. Everyone seemed familiar except for this Lyna. With that, I proceeded back to sleep in my sleeping bag, noticing that Auron was constantly staring at me. As I began to continue my sleep so as to cool my anger, I could feel that something mysterious was within and everything here was more than it met to the eye. Soon, I was once again in deep sleep.  
  
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Sorry for the short chapter! But the next one will be a major one, 'cause it has been one of the famous places for Aurikku pairings -- the Thunder Plains! =) 


	6. The Thunder Plains

Chapter Six: The Thunder Plains  
  
Author's Notes -- Okay, here we are at one of the most crucial points in the re-enactment of Aurikku stories. Have fun reading~!  
  
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The Thunder Plains  
  
We arrived at the most fearful area in Spira -- the Thunder Plains. I had always avoided this area, for I had a bad experience with lightning. As mentioned by the books, it was always dark and damaged pillars that absorbed the destructive element that plagued the area.  
  
"Oh, no...." I was beginning to feel scared of crossing this region as I huddled up. "We're here." A ball of lightning struck, with thunder following behind, which made me shrieked. In the distance, a powerful bolt struck one pillar.  
  
"How are we supposed to cross that?" I saw Tidus asking the group.  
  
"See the lightning rod towers?" Lulu pointed to the structures in the distance. "The lightning is drawn to them...hopefully."  
  
'Hopefully?' I was beginning to have wild guesses. 'Fuh'd dryd sayh dryd fa luimt pa cdnilg po mekrdhehk?' I continued to look into the distance.  
  
"We head north, not too near and not too far from the towers, ya?" Wakka asked the black mage, giving his opinion.  
  
"Meaning we should avoid wide, open areas," Lulu deciphered. As she finished her statement, another lightning struck the tower, and made me shriek again in fear.  
  
"I think I forgot something in Guadosalam," I spoke as I cowered in fear of the powerful thing that struck the lands.  
  
"Nice knowing you," Auron replied back. At this time, I was angry with him for giving such sarcastic remarks.  
  
'E's hud kuehk du pa tnejah uvv po oui zicd mega dryd,' I looked at him annoyingly. "Okay, okay, I'll go!" I responded, refusing to give in to this mean guardian but could not show my anger from the bad aura of this place.  
  
***  
  
Another bolt of lightning came down on one rod, making me shriek again. I came close to Yunie, holding her hand as we traveled across the dark plain.  
  
"It's okay, Rikku," she assured me. "The chance of lightning reaching the ground is low."  
  
"Yunie, you know how I was hit by lightning!" I replied back, making her recall the time when I told her about my bad relations with lightning. She gave a slight nod as a reply and continued on the journey. Another thunder rumbled throughout the area, making me afraid again.  
  
We came under a rod tower, noticing an acolyte there. I was feeling afraid that she might notice me but it was not to be. "Ah, good day!" she noticed us as we approached, making the same Yevonite gesture.  
  
"Hi there," Tidus exclaimed, coming towards her. She noticed Yunie and me as we followed Tidus behind.  
  
"Is it true?" she asked Yunie, taking no notice of me. I heaved a sigh of relief that she had not noticed my identity yet. "I heard that Maester Seymour and Lady Yuna are to be wed! It's such great news! I have to tell everyone!" she exclaimed with enthusiasm.  
  
"Where'd you heard that?" Tidus interrogated, obviously displeased about Yunie's marriage case.  
  
"From the Guado," the acolyte answered. "They were all very excited!"  
  
"I'm afraid you heard a little wrong. Yunie's gonna turn him down."  
  
"Oh...really?" she was a little shocked from Tidus' opposing answer.  
  
"Yep! No wedding!" he replied proudly.  
  
"I see..." her tone came down in disappointment. "That's unfortunate. Well I'm sure that people would have rejoiced all over Spira," the acolyte gave a sigh. With that, Auron made a signal for us to proceed further. Yunie bade the acolyte farewell before I followed her behind.  
  
We advanced across the cursed lands, avoiding lightning and fighting off lightning-based fiends as well. As we engaged in battle with an iron giant, I was shaking from attacking it. I felt a bolt of thunder hit me from behind before blacking out.  
  
***  
  
I regained consciousness to find myself under another rod. The roar of thunder had woken me up again. In front of my eyes, I saw a worried Yunie and Tidus looking at me.  
  
"What happened?" I got up, looking at them.  
  
"You fainted upon being struck by lightning," Yunie answered.  
  
"Hey Rikku!" Tidus replied back with no feeling of worry but that of a cheery type. "You are one lucky girl to have survived lightning, ya know?" I smiled at his encouraging words. Another lightning struck near as I cupped my ears and curled up.  
  
"We have no time for resting," Auron replied harshly. "We leave." I looked back at the red-clad guardian; he did not have a heart to let us rest.  
  
"Hey!" I began to pick a fight with him. "Can't we just rest here for a while, although it's dangerous? I bet you were secretly smiling that I had been struck by lightning." I heard nothing but silence around me. Even outgoing Tidus was quiet.  
  
"Er...Rikku," Tidus gave me a poke. "Auron carried you here."  
  
"Oh..." I looked at the giant man with guilt. He turned back to observe the next route to travel across the Thunder Plains. Suddenly, two bolts of lightning hit the tower consecutively, making Tidus and Yunie gasp.  
  
"Whoa! That was a close one!" Wakka joked, laughing at his own joke.  
  
"Stop kidding around," Lulu gave him a stern look.  
  
"Yes, ma'am..." he replied to her.  
  
"Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh..." I trembled at the sudden blow of lightning. Wakka turned back to look at me in confusion.  
  
"Hmm? What's wrong?" he asked, showing an ignorant look on his face. Obviously, he had not noticed that I was afraid of lightning.  
  
"Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh..." I continued my chattering and stammering.  
  
"'Heh heh heh...' You're givin' me the creeps!" Tidus spoke, somehow annoyed that I was repeating my words. A lightning blow followed, making me to shriek and fall to my knees, covering my ears. Needing someone to guide me through, I crawled up swiftly and grabbed hold of Tidus' leg.  
  
"I wanna go home!" I cried out, pulling his leg. "I hate lightning! I hate thunder!" I lamented, looking in fear for any nearby dangers. "Let's go rest over there! Please?" I pointed to another pillar, for we had advanced to the open again.  
  
"This storm never stops," Auron advised, trying to oppose my suggestion. "Better to cross quickly."  
  
"I know, but...Just for a little while?" I felt compelled to convince this stoic guardian of my idea.  
  
"Heh, well?" Tidus looked at both of us giving different views. "What now?" Auron gave a sigh as we walked on to the rod.  
  
***  
  
We walked across the Plains when a blinding flash flared in front of me. Without warning, I heard the same familiar cracking of thunder. As I regained sight of the area, I noticed that everyone was gone, except for Auron.  
  
'Uv ymm baubma...' I cursed in my mind. 'Fro sicd ra pa dra uha fru'c cdilg fedr sa?' I grumbled as I came over to him. Lightning still caused me to fear as it flashed across the dark skies.  
  
"We have to find Yuna and the rest," he spoke frigidly. A thunder roared and another ball of lightning hit the ground, making me run into the nearest thing possible. I felt hard metal as I looked up at the nearest thing beside me -- Auron! I looked in fear as he gave me an irritated look. Suddenly, his face changed to look like that of a worried person.  
  
"What did you say?" I asked as I heard him mutter some words under his breath.  
  
"Nothing," he spoke. I noticed that he had not pushed me away, his breath was warm and this guardian gave me a strong sense of security. Coming to my senses, I pushed myself away from the crimson man.  
  
"Okay, we've got to find Yunie and the others," I spoke bravely, hoping that another dose of lightning attack would not dampen my spirits. He nodded as we continued on our journey across the plains.  
  
***  
  
Yunie and the others had been found. It was easy for they were searching for us too, and affinity had brought us back together. I came near Tidus as we continue our journey and in fright too.  
  
"Pretty please? Just a few minutes?" I begged Auron as we crossed one of Rin's travel agencies. To my surprise, no one heard me and continued on. "I'm scared of lightning! Let's rest, please? Pretty please?" I was beginning to feel desperate, hoping that the group would hear me.  
  
"I'm too young to die!" I shrieked to the group. Even Yunie was ignoring me. "You're mean...cruel! Yours moms would be ashamed of you!" I cursed at them. I lowered my head, preparing to go with them when I saw the group turn back. "Are you having fun doing this to me?" I glared at them, noticing Auron chuckle while Yunie giggled.  
  
"Fine, we rest," Auron decided. "She's worse than the storm."  
  
I came into the agency and crawled into one corner of the room. Rin looked at me and shook his head as he passed by. I looked as Yunie entered a room to rest, with Tidus following her after a few minutes. Another lightning struck, making me afraid of it. I closed my eyes and began to enter a state of unconsciousness.  
  
***  
  
I woke up again to the rumbling of thunder. It was still frightening. I looked around to see that everyone was gone. I looked around to see that only Rin was there.  
  
"Frana'c ajanouha?" I asked him. He somehow looked a little younger.  
  
"Rir? Drao yna eh draen nuusc, teth'd oui nasaspan?" he answered in disbelief. I heaved a sigh of relief, relieved that they had not abandoned me behind. Another roar of thunder sounded as I squatted down, covering my ears.  
  
I walked down the corridor, hearing for any voices. As I strolled down, I heard familiar voices that came from my dream previously.  
  
"I bet ya were enjoying her company?" I heard an unfamiliar voice sound.  
  
"Don't spout nonsense," the familiar voice sounded. His voice belonged to the man in red whom I had seen before at Bevelle. "She's an Al Bhed, and I don't care whether she is scared of the lightning or what. We should leave soon."  
  
"Hey, I thought all monks were compassionate?"  
  
"I'm a warrior monk," he replied coldly. "Warrior monks do not communicate with the Yevon-forsaken race." I was shocked at his bias against my race. I swung open the door to see the same red man and the other, a topless man with tattoos painted over his chest.  
  
"To think I treated you as a friend!" I suddenly spoke out the words without knowing it. With that, I ran back to the main hall, squatting down in fear of the roaring of thunder.  
  
'Fryd syta sa cyo druca funtc?' I pondered in my mind. I heard silence, and opened my eyes. Everything seemed back to normal; Lulu and Kimahri were standing in the hall. 'Fryd rybbahat zicd huf?' I wondered at how they could re-appear in the hall again.  
  
"Lyna was just like that; always afraid of lightning and thunder too..." I heard Auron mumble a few words.  
  
"Huh? You've got something to say?" I looked up to him. He turned to look at me before returning his gaze to somewhere else. A loud clap of thunder made me close my eyes once again, shivering in fear.  
  
"He didn't mean it," I heard a gentle voice as I opened my eyes. I saw the same silvery hair summonr before my very eyes as he looked at me. "I guess too much Yevonite teaching can cause too much prejudice."  
  
I looked around to see Lulu and Kimahri gone again. In the background, I saw the same two men standing. A thunder rumbled, making me shriek in terror. As I looked up again, I saw the topless man give the redcoat man a push in front.  
  
"Hey, ya should apologize to her, ya know?" he taunted. The man with the long ponytail, also wearing the red coat, came forward to me. Suddenly, everything blacked out in front of me as a girl came towards me. She was the girl as Maester Seymour had described -- a scarf wrapped between her back and arms, short brown hair etc.  
  
"Hello Rikku," she spoke. I got up in the surrounding darkness and took a step back. "I mean no harm," she assured me.  
  
"Y-you a-are unsent!" I exclaimed. She looked down and back to me again.  
  
"No doubt," she spoke softly, her tone as gentle as Yunie's. "I'm an unsent."  
  
"Why are you here?"  
  
"To help you."  
  
"Help me?" I was confused at her objectives. "In what way?"  
  
"What you have just saw is just the process of your fragmented memories being pieced together," she explained, her words still too hard to interpret.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You'll find out in due time," she replied. "Now it's time for you to wake up," she snapped her fingers before disappearing. I opened my eyes to find myself back at the agency, with Auron, Lulu and Kimahri still standing in the background. I saw Tidus approaching me. I looked at the outside window.  
  
"It's not stopping, isn't it?" I asked, hoping for a positive answer.  
  
"Don't tell me you were hoping it would," Auron responded sarcastically. Another lightning struck, making me shriek from it. "Fine, stay here," he taunted as he exited the building. I stood up, determined to give him a piece of my mind for his coldness.  
  
"All right, already!" I screamed at him. "But! You didn't have to say it like that, you know!" I was feeling anger stirring up within me. "You could be more comforting or something! You know, try to cheer me up?" I felt him stop in his tracks before continuing. "You just don't get me at all, do you?" I was certain that I heard the scarlet meanie chuckling. "Hey! Are you listening?" I yelled. A thunder roared, making me huddle.  
  
'Pa pnyja, Rikki!' my conscience instructed me. My fear was gone temporary. "I'm not scared! I'm not scared, you hear?" I spoke out against the most powerful member in the group. He chuckled and walked out of the agency. As we exited the building, a man came in front of us and took a photograph of us before running off again. The group simply stared at him running off. Ignoring the strange encounter, we proceeded into the Thunder Plains while I tried to conquer my fear of lightning and thunder.  
  
***  
  
"Everyone, wait," Yunie spoke abruptly, stopping everyone, even Auron.  
  
"What's up?" Wakka asked.  
  
"I have something to tell you," she replied solemnly.  
  
"Here?" Lulu questioned, looking at the open plain that we were standing on.  
  
"We're almost out of here! Let's go!" I exclaimed, eager to exit the treacherous plains, afraid of any impending lightning that could struck the ground any moment.  
  
"I have to say it now!" Yunie yelled, showing her seriousness on the matter.  
  
"Over there," Auron directed as we looked at one nearby pillar. We proceeded, encircling Yuna. She took a deep breath.  
  
"I've decided to marry," she disclosed her secret.  
  
"I thought so," Lulu answered with an emotionless tone. I heard silence before another lightning struck the ground once again, making me cower in fright.  
  
"B-but why?" Wakka stumbled, probably confused at her sudden change of decision. "Why'd you change your mind?"  
  
"For Spira's future...and Yevon's unity," she elaborated. "I thought it would be the best thing to do."  
  
"That's not good enough," Auron gave his view. I was glad that he was opposing Yunie's decision too.  
  
"Wait, is it..." Lulu queried. "Is it because of Lord Jyscal?"  
  
"Hey! That sphere!" Tidus exclaimed. Auron came to her, raising his palm.  
  
"Show me," he requested; his tone in a demanding one.  
  
"I can't. I must speak to Maester Seymour first," she refused his request. "I truly am sorry, but this is...It is a personal matter."  
  
"You're kidding, ya?" Wakka tried not to accept the truth.  
  
"As you wish," Auron spoke as he turned away. I knew that he was not at all concerned for my cousin summoner but only cared for the pilgrimage. I looked at him, deeming him to be uncaring.  
  
"I'm sorry," she approached him, his back facing her.  
  
"Just one thing," he requested of her.  
  
"I won't quit my pilgrimage," she assured him, knowing his true intention.  
  
"Then it is...fine," he replied back. He was really an uncaring human; correction, an uncaring inhuman creature. I looked at him with hatred. Auron began to walk away when Tidus accosted the red-clad guardian.  
  
"Wait a minute, Auron!" he stopped the mysterious one. "You don't care? I mean, you're not going to stop her?"  
  
"No, I'm not," he replied coldly, ignoring Tidus' intention to stop Yunie from marrying one that she did not love. "As long as she is willing to face Sin...all else is her concern," he showed his heartless intentions. "That is a summoner's privileges. As long as she journeys." I noticed that Wakka was nodding and agreeing with Auron, the heartless guardian in red.  
  
"But that's..." I saw Tidus still trying to fight back. Instead, he gave an argh. I felt obliged to do something about Yunie's loveless engagement.  
  
"Yuna, just one question," Wakka asked. "Can't you just talk to Maester Seymour? You've got to marry him?"  
  
"I don't know," she answered. "But I think it is the right thing to do."  
  
"Okay, I guess," Wakka spoke softly, knowing he had failed to change Yunie's mind. It was now up to me to help in solving this dilemma.  
  
"Yunie..." I approached her, placing my hands on her shoulders. Soon after, a lightning flashed across the sky, obviously trying to deter me from talking. "Quiet!" I shouted to it, angry that it was unneeded at this moment. "I wish we could help somehow, someway!" I faced her. Yunie placed her hand on mine.  
  
"It's okay...I'll be fine," she re-assured me. I gave a slight smile back. Auron walked near us.  
  
"Next, we are going to Macalania Temple. Yuna can talk with Seymour there," he told us. "We guardians will wait until they're done, and plan our next move. Understand?" At least this time, Yunie could still consider on her marriage to Seymour.  
  
In the distance I saw the exit, a place where the lightning no longer reached. I was jubilant at its sight as I rushed towards it the fastest, with the group following behind.  
  
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Not much Aurriku content here, but never mind~! It does unfold some part of the story already. I'll try to write more Aurikku as soon as possible. Bye! 


	7. Macalania Woods

Chapter Seven: More mysteries revealed  
  
Author's Notes -- Okay, this is more. I'm real apologetic if the story is goin' nowhere, 'cause I'm getting out of point...Anyway, have fun!  
  
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More mysteries revealed  
  
We reached the entrance to a wood. Happy that the Thunder Plains were far behind, I unhuddled from Tidus and jumped in joy, running into the woods along the path. As I look behind, Tidus and Auron were still standing there, having a conversation.  
  
It had been quite a long time since I had visited the Macalania Woods. Few Al Bheds could pass here, due to the strong Yevonite influence on the people living here. I noticed that it was beginning to get dark, for the thick canopy of the tall trees were blocking out the sunlight altogether. The area was filled with a beautiful blue-green hue, everywhere sparkling from the shiny stones on trees.  
  
'Drec ec payidevim,' I thought to myself.  
  
"It is indeed beautiful," I heard a voice behind, noticing a winged woman approaching me. I looked everywhere to notice that everything had somehow stopped.  
  
"How did you....?" I asked her, telling that she was some powerful mage.  
  
"A magical Al Bhed I see," she took my head up, looking at me in the eyes with her red ones. I looked at her other hand, which was complete with long and sharp blood-red fingernails. "After Lady Yuna's pilgrimage, you shall become my underling."  
  
I was shocked at what she had said. 'Underling?' I wondered.  
  
"Yes, an underling," she spoke in a sinister way, somehow able to read my mind. "When you end up in the same fate as Jecht, you will become subordinate to me."  
  
'Fryd y sehida?!? Jecht?' I pondered, noticing that the name was familiar to me. It was like as though I had heard about this name before.  
  
"There's no need to think; I can read your mind," she replied evilly. "You can either choose to follow me or end up like Jecht later on."  
  
"What do you mean?" The woman raised up her clawed hand, forming a hovering blue flame over her palm.  
  
"You will eventually understand," she answered, pushing the blue flame into my body. To my surprise, I felt no pain. The winged woman turned back into the forest and de-materialized. Everything seemed to return back to normal.  
  
"Rikku, are you okay?" I heard Yunie ask. I turned to give back a cheerful smile.  
  
"In top form!" I replied enthusiastically. Soon after, I saw Tidus and Auron coming to join us.  
  
"Slowpokes!" I teased the blitzball player.  
  
"Sorry!" he apologized to the group, somehow thinking about something. "Yuna, let's go," he spoke to her, in which she nodded as a rejoinder. I cheered as we entered the woods.  
  
"Hey!" a rather big, dark man came up to us as we were on our way. He was panting heavily, probably frantic about something. "You, have you seen Dona?"  
  
"Dona? Can't say I have?" Tidus shrugged his head. 'Fru fyc Dona?' I wondered.  
  
"What's up?" Wakka came to the front.  
  
"We got separated on the way here," he explained his cause. "Damn it all! I've got to find her!"  
  
"Calm down," Auron instructed the man. I noticed how Auron could be wise at some times.  
  
"But, if anything happens to her..." his voice trailed off, still worried about Dona, probably his summoner.  
  
"Running around in a panic is not going to help," the old guardian interrupted. "Right now, you have to keep cool and search."  
  
"But--"the other man looked at Auron.  
  
"Guard your emotions, then guard your summoner," the older man advised. The sentence that he had just spoken seemed to have an effect on me. It was so familiar, yet I had not heard this sentence before. It was as if I had spoken these words before. Shaking my head of these wild thoughts, I returned to the scene.  
  
"You're right," the man spoke, a little worried about Dona.  
  
"Shall we search?" Auron offered his help. The other man shook his head.  
  
"No, I've taken up enough of your time," he spoke. "Thank you, Sir Auron." The man did a prayer gesture before running off. Before I could run to the front of the group to stop him to wish him good luck, he was already gone.  
  
"What's up?" Wakka asked me.  
  
"Oh, I just wanted to wish him good luck," I responded. I could sense that Auron was watching me again.  
  
We proceeded to enjoy the sight of blue and red butterflies fluttering away while fighting off weak fiends. Except for a few thunder-casting fiends, the rest were pretty easy to dispatch.  
  
I looked at Auron in a perplexed manner. He had drew out his giant sword and prepared to hack into a tree. The tree fell, clearing a path for us to enter. As I entered the place, I noticed a secret area of the Macalania Woods -- a beautiful lake with a tree beside it. Tidus looked at Auron in disbelief.  
  
"This place..." he looked at the area. "It's just water, isn't it?"  
  
"This is what spheres are made of," Auron explained, his voice becoming soft. "It absorbs and preserves peoples' memories." As he neared the water, a giant blob of an unknown liquid shot out of the lake.  
  
"What's that?" Wakka asked. I could see Auron giving a grim smile.  
  
"Fiends are also attracted to these places," he replied. We began to engage in battle as the blob came up to us in an offensive stance. It was definitely a hard nut to crack, for it changed its element each time it was hit by one weak element. We continued our battle against it.  
  
The odd-looking fiend melted as it got defeated. In its residue, a sphere sat in replace of it. Wakka picked it up in curiosity.  
  
"Whoa, this is old!" he scrutinized the sphere. "Don't know if you can play it back."  
  
"Jecht left it here ten years ago," Auron spoke, making me and the others gasp, me being the only one who was confused about what the winged woman had said to me about this Jecht earlier on. "Play it back."  
  
Tidus gave a nod and began to play the sphere back. A hologram began to form above it, showing a familiar topless man in the picture. I was shocked terribly, discovering that I had dreamt about this person. An instant white light engulfed me suddenly.  
  
"What are you taking?" I heard the familiar voice, looking up to find myself in front of a building, with the topless man holding a sphere.  
  
"Well, you said it was gonna' be a long trip," the other replied. I could see the familiar people in my dream walking in front of this enormous building. "We'll be seeing a lot of neat things, right?" he continued with enthusiasm similar to that of Tidus'. "So I thought I'd record it all in this. To show to my wife and kid, you know."  
  
"This is no pleasure cruise!" the man in red retorted angrily. I recognized the way he spoke, like that of someone rather familiar. I continued to look at the angry but cute swordsman in red.  
  
"Hey Braska," the other asked the man with silvery hair. "Ain't this supposed to be a grand occasion? Where're the cheering fans? The crying women?"  
  
'Was I in the past? So this summoner was actually Lord Braska,' I thought to myself. 'If he's Braska, then the guy in red is...' I was rather shocked by my guessing. Could that man in the same crimson coat as that meanie be the same person in actual fact?  
  
"We should go," Braska gave a slight laugh. "Day will break soon." At this point, everything once again blacked out, making me come back to my senses. I looked all around to still see the group still engrossed in watching the hologram. Being uninterested in Yunie's father's journey, I turned behind to see Auron again leaning against the wall. With a sense of curiosity, I approached the stoic old guardian.  
  
"Not interested in watching the sphere?" I asked him as he leaned on the wall of the place. Auron gave a slight look up.  
  
"Too many memories," came his simple answer. I gave a nod, preparing to leave him alone. "Too much memories of Lyna," he butted in, trying to complete his answer. I stopped in my tracks and turned.  
  
"I just don't understand..." I lamented at him, wanting this stoical to return to his senses. "...Is this Lady Lyna that outstanding?" Auron gave a nod as a rejoinder. "Well...but she's dead!" The guardian gave me another piercing stare as the last few words came out of my mouth.  
  
"Enough," he replied back. "We should get back; they are almost finished watching the sphere." The red-clad man strolled back to them. I looked back at him as he moved his big body back to the group.  
  
We walked through the woods of Macalania. The temperature was beginning to turn chilly, indicating that we were nearing the frozen lands of Macalania Lake. I shivered slightly as we walked across the temperate soil of the forest.  
  
"Rikku, you should have brought along more clothing," Lulu approached me with concern. "Knowing that our group will pass through cold areas," she continued. I gave a signal, indicating that it was by mistake that I had not brought along any warm clothing.  
  
"Hey, you should tuck yourself in Auron's coat!" Tidus teased, laughing before being hit in the stomach from his sarcastic idea. Auron was not probably taking any nonsense, judging from the oblivious expression on his face.  
  
"Come in if you're cold," I heard the unexpected suggestion from the most unlikely person to help me. He stretched out his crimson coat, big enough for me to tuck in. I was hesitant in taking in that suggestion. "Never mind then," came his cold reply.  
  
"Okok...I'll come," I decided to get some warmth. As swift as I could, I came into his coat, feeling the soft texture of his coat. His armor-covered torso was warm too, giving me a kind of feeling that made me remember something that I could not ever deemed to have done before. It was like as if I had once tucked myself in this coat before, a strange unexplainable feeling.  
  
"You have a problem there?" I heard the same frigid reply, looking up to see Auron staring at me through his black sunglasses.  
  
"Nah, it's nothing," I replied back, with him turning back to see the way. Suddenly, I stepped on a soft spot on the cold soil, losing my footing and tumbling into a crumbling hole in the ground, dragging the red coat down with me. Following that, blackness engulfed me.  
  
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Okay, end of this chapter. I must admit that it is rather boring but the next chapter will be more interesting. Bye for now! 


	8. Alone with Mr Antisocial

**Chapter Eight : Alone with Mr. Antisocial  
  
A/N : Okay, here is a new chapter of the story. I hope that you may enjoy it and I apologise if the content goes a little too hay-wire. =)******

* * *

**Alone with Mr. Antisocial**

I opened my eyes to see dazzling white snow around me. Despite its beauty, the surroundings were terribly freezing cold as I shivered. I trod on the soft snow, with a rather large tent-like building materializing before my very eyes soon after.  
  
'_Rin's travel agency!_' my heart jumped as I saw the building that would save me from the cold. Upon impulse, I rushed to the life-saving building.  
  
It was beautifully warm inside the 'tent'. It was not surprising that Rin was out; he had returned to Home to collect more supplies. Taking some thick clothing with me from the agency, I strolled to the door.  
  
"You're such a nag!" I heard a familiar voice from outside. I turned to look and saw a lady with a blue bandana, complete with braided hair. She was with the same man I had seen in my peculiar dreams.  
  
"Nag?!?" the other man replied in anger. I could see that his character was similar to someone special too. "If we didn't stop you, you would have...."  
  
"Okay, enough!" the other girl spoke, still with her back facing me. "See? I told you, what a nag you are!" She spoke to him as she turned, revealing her visage and causing me to have a shock. This girl had almost the same face as mine, except for her looking a little older than me. Assuming her to be at least two years my senior, I continued to watch the scene.  
  
My dead-ringer gave a humph as she walked away. Suddenly, her hand was gripped by that of the crimson man, who now seemed to resemble Auron a little. "Let me go!" she tried to struggle as I saw him tightening his grip. "You're such a jerk....!" The scene became romantic as the red-clad man pulled her to him, bending down to touch his lips with hers. The older girl stopped her struggle and began to move closer to him.

------------------------------------------------

I abruptly woke up to find myself surrounded with the evergreen trees of Macalania woods, their needle-like leaves supporting the snow on them. In the distance I saw another red-clad man, but definitely not the one who could have done what I had saw in my dream. Auron approached me, his manner still aloof.  
  
"You're awake," he spoke coldly. As he turned, I picked up a snowball and threw at his head. Auron turned back to look at an angry me.  
  
"You idiot!" I screamed. "Must you come and ruin my dream at this time?"  
  
"This is no time for dreams," he warned. "We search." The guardian walked off into the distance. Having no one else for companionship except this cold guardian, I ran to catch up with him.  
  
"Hey Auron," I turned to him, while trying to bear the freezing cold. It was obvious that he showed an expression that he was reluctant to share the coat with me. "Why are you always that quiet?"  
  
"That question is unnecessary," he replied sharply. "Your only interest now is to protect Yuna."  
  
"Hey wait mister!" I walked in front of him and put my hands on my hips. "Can't you be a little nicer to others?"  
  
"Whether I'm nice or mean," he retorted frigidly. "Is none of your concern." The crimson guardian began to walk away once more. Feeling a little cold, I took out any thing I could have in my small pockets. As I dug them for any items, I notice that it was getting colder. With a slight tug, a green piece of cloth came out of my pockets.  
  
'Let me try to wear like that girl in my dream,' I thought to myself as I tied it to my head as a bandana, attempting to imitate the girl's style in my dream. Done with tying the bandana, I turned to see Auron still 'marching' away on the snow.  
  
"Hey Auron!" I once again tried to accost him. "How's my new look?" I asked him, trying to get him to talk. His expression was a little shocked at my new headdress.  
  
"It's irritating," he answered with sarcasm. "Take it off; it doesn't look good on you."  
  
"Shan't!" I stuck out my tongue at him. "I'll make sure that you will have a tough time!" I taunted as I walked ahead of him.

-------------------------------------

The Macalania Woods must have been a very big place. Night had fallen and we had not reached the main road yet, as mentioned by Auron.  
  
"Some good sense of direction you have, Auron!" I was sarcastic in my tone, trying to make him argue back, which I had by now enjoyed doing so. "You said that we would reach by night."  
  
"We will reach," he replied calmly, traveling across the thick snow.  
  
"Reach?" I stopped him again. "Look at the sky, old man!"  
  
"Fine then," he answered. "We rest."  
  
I gave a slight irritated nod at him as he stood by a tree. "Rest here," he pointed to it, obviously trying to show a bit of sternness but also clearly fake too.  
  
"No need to fake it," I spoke to him softly as I sat down to rest. Leaning my head on the trunk, I closed my eyes, hoping that night would quickly pass. At the same time, it was terribly cold too but nevertheless, I managed to take a successful rest. Before I closed my eyes, I saw Auron standing in the open, unaffected by the cold.  
  
I woke up, disappointed that I did not have any of those 'special' dreams. As I tried to get up, I noticed that a crimson coat was on me, presuming that the cold guardian had some compassion left in him to help me. I looked around for him, finally finding him against another tree, with only his black armor, boots and pants on his body. He stirred as I approached.  
  
"I will make sure you will pay for what you did..." the giant guardian spoke sub-consciously as he talked in his sleep. I was rather amazed by his strange words.  
  
"Hey! Wakie wakie!" I shook him, discovering him to be very heavy. He gave a second stir and opened his eye at me. "Morning to you, Mr. Anti-social!"  
  
Auron gave me another scorn, but quickly changed to a face of no expression. For the first time, I noticed that he had removed his sunglasses, but had now put them back on.  
  
"Hey! There's no need to look at me like that!" I was angry at the way he felt towards me through his face. "You look like I had done something unforgivable to you."  
  
The red-clad guardian took out his sword, helping him to rise and tower over me. He began to walk away into the snow again. Without hesitation, I walked behind him, tracking his footprints.  
  
As we walked across the snowy landscape again, I took out a picture of a close male friend and me. As I pretended to scrutinize it, I turned back to notice that Auron was trying to be a little of a nosey parker too.  
  
"Girls' stuff!" I snapped at him, showing the sign of forbiddance. "Can't believe that you're a busybody!"  
  
"Who's that in the picture?" he gave a nosey question out of the blue, so unlike his usually quiet personality.  
  
"My boyfriend!" I lied, trying to make him a little jealous of me. He did show the expression of the green-eyed monster before reverting back to his usual cold self. At that moment, I concluded that to me Auron was a fairly easy person to read, just like Yuna, though the rest found him difficult to comprehend.  
  
"Why? Jealous?" I taunted, trying to make him show more jealousy.  
  
"Just some childish stuff you can really involve yourself into!" he spoke, obviously trying to cover up his feelings. He turned his head and began to continue walking.  
  
"Hey wait!" I yelled as I attempted to catch up with him, the red-clad guardian being ignorant of my existence.

---------------------------------------

"Hey, ya are back!" Tidus exclaimed as I emerged from the forest onto the path. We did a high five as we met again.  
  
"Yup! Good ol' Rikku's back!" I spoke enthusiastically to him. "I had a fun time," I continued my tale. "Except for that person there," I pointed to the man in red.  
  
"Wow! How was Auron?" the blitzball player questioned.  
  
"Someone you wouldn't want as a life partner," I spoke with a bit of disinterest in the subject of the legendary guardian.  
  
"Don't be rude, Rikku," Yunie came up to me. "Sir Auron is just a little quiet."  
  
"Hi Yunie!" I hugged her, having missed her. "It's good to see you back again!" As I looked in the other direction, I noticed that Lulu and Auron were having a somehow interesting conversation.  
  
'_Those two seems compatible to me,_' I presumed as I turned back to look at Tidus and Yunie. They smiled as we continued our path to Lake Macalania, with Auron leading the way once again.

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**Okay, that's all for now! Thank you for your reviews too! And by the way, this chapter itself is almost an AU, so the story isn't really 100% original too. Rikku blackouts all the time because...I like it this way! =P Okay, thanks for readingsee you in the next chapter!**


	9. Lake Macalania

**Chapter Nine: Crossing the Great Lake of Macalania  
  
Okay, my next installment! =) And by the way, don't ask me for what will happen in the future 'cause it will spoil the surprise. But this story won't be full of suspense because all of us know the final ending too. Anyway, have fun reading the episode!  
**

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We crossed over into the wide frozen open plains of Lake Macalania. A sign board suspended between two long wooden poles marked the boundary. It was uncannily familiar, judging that I had been here in the past, perhaps as a child.  
  
As we roamed the cold lands, a chocobo trainer grooming his pet was seen nearby. He tended to his pet bird with loving care, as such a trainer would do. As soon as the trainer saw us he came up to greet our big group of guardians.  
  
"Hi there. Would you look at this?" he asked us, pointing to his chocobo. "They always leave me behind," he had a tone of sadness probably unable to catch up with his stronger colleagues. The big yellow bird gave a cry allowing the trainer to rush to it.  
  
"Oh, you want me to scratch you?" he asked upon reaching his pet. It lowered its head allowing the trainer to scratch as it cried out content fully. "There. Good boy!"  
  
"How'd you know what it wanted?" Tidus queried with the chocobo trainer. I had wanted to pose this trainer the same question, but it looked like my close friend and co-guardian had taken the initiative to do so.  
  
"I've always been able to tell how chocobos feel," he answered. "Maybe I'd make a better chocobo breeder than chocobo knight, huh?" the trainer turned to Tidus. "Hey, what job do you see me doing?"  
  
"Chocobo breeder," Tidus replied to the trainer.  
  
"Yeah! I think so too!" he exclaimed, pleased with the obvious compliment. "Hmm...you know, I might give it a try." We proceeded to leave as we continued our journey to the Temple of Macalania. Not long after, we saw a familiar figure come up to Yunie and me.  
  
"Lady Yuna, we've been expecting you," Seymour's servant welcomed us. "We were surprised you decided to come so soon. Pleasantly surprised, of course," Tromell gave a cordial remark and continued. "Lord Seymour sends his apologies for having left without notice."  
  
"It's quite all right," Yunie smiled back. "I have one question, if I may, sir."  
  
"My lady?"  
  
"I want to keep journeying, even if I marry," she stated her terms for marriage. "Do you think Maester Seymour would let me?"  
  
"But of course, my lady," he replied back enthusiastically. "Lord Seymour wishes nothing else, I'm sure." Yunie turned back to us and nodded, signaling her temporary departure.  
  
"Goodbye," she bade us farewell before walking up to the Guado.  
  
"Well...we must follow Guado tradition," he turned to us. "I'll have to ask you to wait here a little longer. I'll send someone to escort you." Yunie turned back to us as Tromell began to move away.  
  
"I..." my cousin stammered.  
  
"We're all with you," the quiescent red guardian assured her, making me wonder if he was ever that cold to everyone. "Do as you will."  
  
"Thank you," she answered. As Yunie turned to look back at us, I could see Auron murmuring some words to Tidus.  
  
"Sorry," he spoke quietly to Tidus, an unexpected answer too for such a cold guardian. I giggled silently, unable to believe that Auron had actually said sorry.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"That was your line," came the red guardian's short answer. Perhaps Auron was not always that frigid and antisocial after all. He was probably just like us, but socializing with us in a unique way. Shaking off these strange thoughts and deductions, something familiar caught my eye -- Machina! If machina was here, surely my fellow Al Bhed people were here too. Without hesitation I ran over to check what was happening, especially when Yunie and Tromell were near the scene.  
  
"Oh, no!" I gasped at what would happen.  
  
"Al Bhed!" I heard Wakka's alarmed cry as he saw the machina. They had encircled Yunie and Tromell with their speeders. At that instance I notice an agile man in red who had jumped off the path to save his summoner. Auron's sense of guardianship had certainly impressed me. He drew out his giant sword, pointing it at the Al Bhed.  
  
"Stand back," he advised Yunie and the rest of us who had followed him down.  
  
"Thank you!" Tromell expressed his gratitude for us before escorting Yunie. "Lady Yuna!" I heard his exclamation as I notice Yuna was rejoining us. I smiled at her knowing that we were going to fight the enemy together, who had surrounded us.  
  
"Rikku!" I heard a familiar voice call out my name. I turned to see Brother standing from a hill on one side of the area. "Tuh'd ehdanvana un oui kad drec!" he warned me as a giant cannon came up from behind. I gasped to see that father had entrusted him with one of our most powerful weapons. "Ouin bnaleuic magic yht aeons yna caymat!" Brother gave a sinister laugh which made me more worried about attempting to protect Yunie.  
  
"Oh, no!" I moaned as I tried to think of a way.  
  
"Translation?" I heard a curious Tidus.  
  
"He's gonna use an anti-magic field on us!" I exclaimed, telling the group of impending dangers.  
  
"Kad dras!" Brother gave an order which halted the conversation and made us engage in battle with the new cannon that had been only made recently.  
  
-------------------------------------  
  
The cannon collapsed in failure as we gave it a final blow. It was devastating to see how this useful weapon had been made to waste, and father would ground Brother when he returns.  
  
"My lady!" Tromell gave a cry, and nearing Yunie. She gave a nod and proceeded to follow the Guado to the temple of Macalania. I turned to see if Brother was still there -- he still was.  
  
"E femm damm Vydran!" he retorted back angrily knowing that I had destroyed the machina.  
  
"E ys dra guardian uv Yuna, oui caa?" I tried to explain myself to him, though he was still stubborn in hearing me. "Yuna ec cyva! Fa femm kiynt ran! Cra ec cyva!"  
  
"Oui tu drec ymuha, cecdan!" he sneered before running away into the snow. I gave a giggle, knowing that my actions would shock father.  
  
"I told him I was a guardian," I turned back to explain my sudden burst of laughter. "Well, I guess I had to, really."  
  
"How come you speak Al Bhed?" Wakka asked the question that hit the raw nerve. It was now or never that I disclose the truth about my identity. "Why?" He was getting impatient, looking at Tidus and Lulu while the blitzball player fumbled with his speech.  
  
"Because I'm Al Bhed," I answered knowing that bad effects would follow. "And that...was my brother."  
  
"You knew?" Wakka turned to them, and receiving nods as answers. "Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"We knew you'd be upset."  
  
"This is great," Wakka was getting angry of been kept from the truth. "I can't believe that I've been traveling with an Al Bhed! A heathen!"  
  
"You're wrong!" I tried to argue back and change his now-bad impression of me. "We have nothing against Yevon."  
  
"But you Al Bhed use the forbidden machine!" he answered back. "You know what that means? Sin was born because people used machine!"  
  
"You got proof?" I argued back once more. "Show me proof!"  
  
"It's in Yevon teachings! Not that you'd know!"  
  
"That's not good enough!" I argued at his shallow answer. "Yevon says this, Yevon says that. Can't you think for yourself?"  
  
"Well, then you tell me!" Wakka was turning unreasonable by the minute. "Where did Sin come from, huh?"  
  
"I...I don't know!" Wakka gave a humph at my reply.  
  
"You bad mouth Yevon, and that's all you can come up with?"  
  
"But..." I tried to support my stand. "That doesn't mean you should do whatever they say without thinking! Nothing will ever change that way!"  
  
"Nothing has to change!"  
  
"You want Sin to keep coming back?" I gave him a rhetorical question. "There might be a way to stop it, you know!"  
  
"Sin will be gone once we atone for our past mistakes!"  
  
"When? How?" I asked him for the teachings of Yevon.  
  
"If we keep faith in Yevon's teachings it will gone one day!"  
  
"Why do I even bother?" I rolled my eyes knowing that our argument knew no limits.  
  
"Rikku!" I heard another voice, a fresh change, which came from the oldest guardian. "Will this work?" Auron pointed at the speeders left by the Al Bhed earlier on. I ran over to fix it.  
  
"We're not using that, are we?" I heard Wakka talking from behind. He was really too unreasonable for calling me a heathen. "Wait...Sir Auron isn't Al Bhed too, is he?" Correction; he was getting paranoid too.  
  
"Come on, Wakka..." I heard Tidus' response to give the blitzball captain a reality check.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I mean, getting angry just 'cause you found out Rikku's an Al Bhed..." I continued to hear the conversation as I tried to repair the slightly damaged speeder. "You guys got along fine till now, don't you?"  
  
"That's different. I mean...."  
  
"Well...I don't claim to know that much about Spira..." Tidus continued. "And I probably know even less about the Al Bhed, but...I know Rikku's a good person." My face lit up at his compliment; Tidus was really one who saw everyone as equal. "She's just Rikku!" I heard his final words.  
  
"Lu?"  
  
"Just think of this as an opportunity to learn more about the Al Bhed," Lulu's voice sounded. She's was more mature than the others and I felt that she was creative in giving that idea. I smiled as I continued to give a final touch to the machina. Once again I felt that Auron was somehow watching me from above again, making me lose my smile.  
  
"Ha!" Wakka gave a humph.  
  
"Let him go," I heard Auron's booming and imperative voice. "Give him time to think." I stood up to face the rest, feeling guilty for causing this turmoil.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"You've done nothing wrong to apologise for," Lulu comforted me, which made me feel more respectful for her.  
  
"All right! Let's ride!" Tidus gave some words of confidence to us as he walked near the repaired machinas.  
  
"You sure you know how to drive that?" I asked him and praying that he would not damage it attempting to operate the speeder. Before Tidus could do anything, I saw Kimahri jump onto one and speeding off into the snow, a rather surprising sight too for a traditional Yevon-abiding Ronso to operate a 'forbidden machina'.  
  
"Better than Kimahri does!" Tidus hopped on one, with Lulu as the pillion rider, speeding away into the snowy terrain.  
  
"Where Wakka go?" I asked the last person remaining, the man in red.  
  
"He decided to walk," came the cold reply.  
  
"But...." I wondered how could Wakka travel such a distance to the temple. "...It's rather far from here."  
  
"There are means to travel quickly," Auron responded to my concerning question. "Besides this machina." He touched the throttle with his black gloved hand.  
  
"Okay...well," I pointed to the seat of the speeder. The crimson guardian gave a nod and sat on the driver's seat. Seeing that there were no other speeders in the distance, except for a broken one, I looked at how Auron was going to start the speeder running. The sight was indeed funny; he was looking a little confused, compared to his usual calm character, and trying to see which button to press while hesitating too.  
  
"Are you sure you know how to operate this machina" I asked rhetorically. Auron stood up and looked at me with his piercing eye.  
  
"You drive."

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**Is this okay? Sorry for the long wait; too much work to do these days. =P Anyway, some episodes won't have much Aurikku content, so be prepared when you're disappointed with some non-Aurikku content in certain chapters. That's all for now, see ya'! **


	10. Temple of Macalania

**Chapter Ten: Trouble Brewing  
  
Here is chapter ten, combined with a little AU and more of the real story. It would be better for some parts if music from Final Fantasy is used. And thank you all for your many reviews! : ] By the way, this episode could be a little R-rated.**

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I faced the snowy landscape in front of me on the speeder. A stubborn and conservative Auron sat behind me, fastened to the machina instead of me for religious reasons.  
  
"That's really dumb, Auron," I commented on the method of safety he chose to sit on the speeder. "What if the speeder falls or capsizes while in mid- air?"  
  
"That won't matter," came the same old tone of reply. To make sure that he was safe, I turned to try an imperative look on him. As I looked at him, the red guardian loosened himself from the straps of the machina. "Fine, if you insist!"  
  
I turned back to press the button which made the speeder crack into life. Its engines roared with a sound seldom heard in places of hardcore Yevon worshippers especially in this icy region of Macalania. I gave a slight push, which made us zoom into the cold but beautiful landscape of the lake.  
  
As soon as the speeder moved, I felt two large cup-like objects press again my chest. I looked down to see two tanned and somewhat hairy hands from behind against my bust. A sense of disgust filled me as I turned back to see what Auron had did to me.  
  
"Didn't Yevon state that their worshippers should not outrage the modesty of others?" I spoke with sarcasm, turning back to operate the speeder. At that instance, the two hands dropped from my body.  
  
"My apologies."  
  
I harboured a naughty idea at once. In less than a moment, I took one of Auron's large hands and pressed it against one of my breasts and removed it again.  
  
"R-r-rikku?!?" I heard his pitiful cry, making me giggle at the sight of his stammering, a rare side of the crimson guardian seen by few, me being one of them.  
  
"You enjoyed that right?" I tried to taunt him.  
  
"No..." his voice trailed off. From my view, his heart was probably saying yes instead. "This act is forbidden by Yevon."  
  
"Don't lie, you enjoyed it all!" I teased the guardian. "I knew all along that you were a perverted man as well."  
  
"Say what you want. I do not care."  
  
I grinned as I look forward. Auron was definitely throwing a tantrum judging from his reaction to my teasing of him. Up front, I notice a white boulder blocking the way.  
  
"Hold on to me," I instructed him from in front. "We're gonna' turn."  
  
I felt two hands hold on to my waist once again. A romantic feeling filled me inside out though I could not figure its origins out. Giving a swerve, the speeder dodged the white boulder that had blockaded the route to the temple of Macalania. I looked down to see Auron's hands and noticed that he had taken off the black gloves covering them.  
  
Taking one hand up, I scrutinized it while driving the speeder. "Hey, don't your hands feel cold without the gloves?" I asked curiously.  
  
"None of your business to know."  
  
I turned up once again to check for any upcoming dangers and looked down at his hand to observe it again. His hand was twice the size of mine and it was hairy which explained why he did not feel any cold with his gloves off. Shaking off his hand, I turned up to re-operate the machina. "Hey Auron," I asked the stoic guardian once again. "Don't you think that I'm bad for picking on you?"  
  
"No," came the soft reply. "Lyna did that too..." I heard his mumble.  
  
"Again please? What did you say just now?" I had failed to catch his words properly.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Oh fine!" I was angry at his reluctance to open up, even in privacy. "I won't talk to you then!"  
  
"Suit you."  
  
---------------------------------------------  
  
It had been probably about half an hour since we had set off from the Al Bhed attack. I was concentrating on the route to the Temple of Macalania. Ever since telling Auron off, we had kept silent on the speeder.  
  
"Hey Auron," I had to start talking again from the lack of noise. "Where were you born?"  
  
"Spira."  
  
I rolled my eyes at his answer. "Yes, I know you were born in Spira, but which part?" I questioned with more detail.  
  
"...Somewhere near Luca."  
  
"Luca? But you don't look like the people there," I commented on his strange birthplace. Auron clearly did not resemble the people there, who had golden hair and blue eyes in contrast to his black hair and brown eyes.  
  
"It's a long story..."  
  
"Tell me!" I was intrigued by mysterious things.  
  
"None of your business."  
  
"Meanie!" I cursed him before attempting to step on his boot again. I succeeded, once again.  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
I stopped the engine of the speeder. We had reached at the Temple of Macalania, a building atop a frozen lake. The rest were nowhere to be seen too. Tidus and Kimahri could have taken the long route there instead of the route which I followed earlier on.  
  
"We wait."  
  
I agreed with the red guardian. Finally, we had something which could be agreed on. I looked up to see the 'scorching' sun as its effects were not pronounced in the cold climate of the area. Turning back to see the crimson man, an empty spot displaced him. I turned the other side to look at a red figure walking away.  
  
"Hey! Where are ya' going?" I was angry at him for his sudden disappearance.  
  
"Returning the call of nature." I laughed at his monotonously reply. I stood down and giggled to myself. As I turned back, I saw a head-shaking Auron turn into the snowy landscape.  
  
However, I turned to face the real situation: the animosity of the people living here towards the Al Bhed. Surely, they would recognize me as an Al Bhed and possibly drive me out of the region. Planning my next move, I stood down again to devise a way to keep myself disguised.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------  
  
We walked towards the door of the temple. The sacred building itself was huge, especially when built across a large sheet of breakable ice. No plan had materialized in my mind, making me worried as I trod across the ice path to the temple. A guard stood in front of the entrance to the building.  
  
"Halt!" he ordered to us. I ran up beside him, trying to find out his problem with us. "The likes of her are not welcomed in this hallowed place," he pointed to me, indicating the people's rejection of the Al Bhed.  
  
"She is a guardian," I heard the imperative voice from the eldest guardian in the group as he came up beside me.  
  
"An Al Bhed, a guardian? Preposterous!"  
  
"I've decided to be Yuna's guardian now, and that's what I want," I tried to reveal my true intentions in order to avoid suspicions.  
  
"And that's all one needs to be a guardian," Auron enriched my reasons to be a guardian.  
  
"Very well." Came the guard's reply, the door being opened to us. We proceeded to enter the temple doors. As we proceeded into the main hall, which was magnificent enough for anyone to see, the same acolyte we had saw in the Thunder Plains came up to Tidus.  
  
"Ah! There you are!" She exclaimed to us. "So Lady Yuna is getting married! You shouldn't kid around about these things."  
  
"Yeah, I guess so," I could sense the sadness in Tidus' tone. It was clearly obvious now that he liked Yuna.  
  
"You're not happy?" the acolyte enquired. Tidus shook his head in response.  
  
"Nah, it's complicated," he replied to her before running up to us who were quite a distance from them. "Say...Do you know where Yuna is?"  
  
"I believe..." the acolyte ran up to us. "She's gone to the Cloister of Trials with Maester Seymour." We proceeded to the cloister of trials to fetch Yuna. All of a sudden, a door opened with a girl running out.  
  
"Lord Jyscal!" the name caught my ear. "A sphere, in Lady Yuna's belongings..." Curious to know what was happening, I ran with the group into the room.  
  
A sphere sat on the bed with Auron picking it up. "This may well answer a few questions," he handed the sphere to Tidus who placed it on the floor to play. An image of so-called Lord Jyscal materialized above it...  
  
---------------------------------------------------  
  
"Wonderful." Came one of Auron's common replies. The sphere had ended, leaving me appalled at the fact that Seymour could be that evil to harm his own father. Anxious that Yuna was in the hands of this madman, I approached the half-blind guardian.  
  
"Will Yuna be alright?" I asked. He ignored me and exited the room.  
  
"Without us, no," another of his cold replies came. Knowing that Yunie was in grave danger, I ran to the cloister of trials to find Yuna. I ran through an icy tunnel before reaching another room with a high ceiling. Seymour stood at the far end near a door, where Yuna was supposedly there. He turned to see me.  
  
"Ah! The cousin of the summoner," he gave a friendly approach. "I see that you've come to fetch your dear kin too." Before I could reply back to him, Tidus beat me to it.  
  
"Seymour!" he gave an angry cry.  
  
"Please be silent," Seymour ordered to the blitzball player. "Lady Yuna prays to the fayth."  
  
"Make me."  
  
Seymour turned around to look at us, who had by then assembled together to protect Yuna against this maester. He walked down the steps, smirking at Tidus at the same time. Within a while, the door opened with Yuna walking out. The Guado turned back to her.  
  
"Yuna!" Tidus shouted over to her.  
  
"But why...?"  
  
"We saw Jyscal's sphere," Tidus tried to expose Seymour's dark crime.  
  
"You killed him," Auron's accusations came.  
  
"What of it?" Seymour asked ignorantly. "Lady Yuna, certainly you know of these things, did you not?" He interrogated Yunie, who was a little shaky by now. "Well then, why have you come here?"  
  
"I came..." she stammered, standing beside us. "I came to stop you."  
  
"I see," his tone was sarcastic. "You came to punish me, then." Seymour neared us, extending his hand but Yuna backed away.  
  
"What a pity," he spoke as we surrounded Yunie. "Ah, of course. 'Protect the summoner even at the cost of one's life.' The Code of the Guardian." "How admirable," Seymour taunted us, calling two Guado guards by his side. "Well, if you're offering your lives, I will have to take them."  
  
"Maester Seymour," Yuna came up in front of us, raising her wand. "I trust my guardians with my life. But they are also my friends," she spoke these words of touching feelings to us. "I will not stand by and watch them be hurt. I will fight you, too!"  
  
"All right!" Tidus cheered my cousin summoner on.  
  
"Maester Seymour!" a reluctant Wakka tried to stop the brewing battle.  
  
"So be it," Seymour spoke before taking a wand out as well. "But first, the Al Bhed girl should submit!" He aimed his wand at me, creating icicles that quickly darted at me. At this time, a sudden thing happened.  
  
Auron came in front of me, using his unusually fast sword skill to ward off all icicles. He placed his sword on the cold hard floor again.  
  
"Rikku!" I heard a mysterious voice from behind. It was the same woman who I had saw in the Macalania Woods earlier on. "Now is the time to choose: Power or Friends." I began to walk towards her....

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**Okay, that's all for Chapter Ten. I'll update soon on Chapter Eleven soon. Bye!**


	11. First Clue of Truth

**Chapter Eleven: Another Mystery Unfolds  
  
Hi again! It's been a rather busy week, and that's my reason for the late submission of the next chapter. ;) I hope that all of you readers may appreciate this chapter, thank you.**

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**Chapter Eleven  
  
**I hesitated for a moment after taking a step. This winged woman; I still felt suspicion to her. As her sharp-clawed hands beckoned for me to move forward, I stood there considering my decision.  
  
"Don't go," I heard the familiar voice from behind. Surprisingly, Auron had come in front of me, drawing out his long and big sword and pointing it at the winged woman. "She's evil."  
  
"But how would you know?" I asked him, but with no response. The red guardian had concentrated his gaze onto that of the creature in front of us.  
  
"Leave this girl alone," Auron's thundering voice threatened the woman. The latter, shook her head, and began to chuckle.  
  
"Poor poor thing," she exclaimed. "To think your puny weapon can even come close to me?" At instance, she raised out her hand to me again, giving an order to come. I hesitated again.  
  
"If you won't come, here..." she raised her hand to form an apparition. As I looked at it, shock filled my entire body. It was Home, but a place in flames instead and everyone in it seemed to be in running away from something. "...then don't blame me when this happens."  
  
Thinking about Home and about the survival of our denounced race, I had an impulse to walk forward to her. I took a long walk to her, coming closer to her every minute. It was not long before I heard a thundering sound. Turning behind I saw an Auron who had fallen to the ground; he must have chased after me but was deflected by this winged woman's mystical powers.  
  
"Very well done." The woman smiled, but in a sinister way. She raised her arms and began to glow blue before turning back to me. "So it begins."  
  
The next moment had that of the winged woman transforming into a blue apparition and shooting through my body, causing immense pain. Upon that moment, I fainted from the sudden event.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Hey, are ya' okay?" I heard an accent that was alien to Spira but reminded of one familiar person whom I had suddenly forgotten. I opened my eyes slowly, allowing the sunlight to fall on them gradually and my sight to clear from a blurry image. In front of me I saw the man who had always appeared quite a number of times in my dreams of late, the one that did not belong to Spira. "Say something, will ya?"  
  
"I'm fine," I answered back to his question, returning a smile to him. Getting up from the floor, I looked around to see a rosy sunset and stood there for the moment. It was absolutely beautiful and magnificent too. I turned to see two somehow familiar faces, one with the looks of a summoner and the other man of his red crimson coat with his aloof face directing at something in the sky.  
  
'_Fryd ys E tuehk?_' I wondered to myself as I remember having been previously attacked by the winged woman just minutes ago. Clutching my stomach, I noticed that there was no wound there as well. '_Fych'd E yd dra dasbma susahdc yku?_'  
  
"Something's wrong?" I heard the gentle voice of my uncle, Yunie's one and only summoner father. I turned to look at him, deducing that this was another crazy dream that I had been having about for the past few months that we spent on Yuna's pilgrimage. I shook my head in reply. "You should go and thank Auron; he saved your life earlier on."  
  
'_Cyjat so meva? Dryd nat syh ec dryd yhde-culeym kiynteyh uv yh eteud?_' I looked at the young man in his red coat in shock. '_Cu ed fych'd y luhletahla dryd ra funa y lnescuh luyd..._' I continued my gaze at the red man who had turned his look to me.  
  
"There's nothing for you to look," I heard his cold reply which was supposedly warm during my previous 'dreams'. So this guardian was truly the man I saw in Yunie's pilgrimage. Feeling that there was something to do, I took small steps towards the towering man in the red coat.  
  
"Er...Syho dryhgc,' I spoke slowly but proudly too. He gave a nod and turned behind.  
  
"Never mind," he replied facing his back to me. This man was no doubt the Auron whom I saw in the real world; an Auron who was always cold and of little words. At the moment, I noticed that his body was edging to turn back to me but this guardian was trying to restrict his instincts.  
  
"Turn back," I tried to interpret his mind. "There's no point trying to suppress your heart." Not a single reply came. Turning to my surroundings, I saw that everywhere had been frozen. It seemed like everything had came to a standstill.  
  
"Hello Rikku," I heard a voice call out my name from one side. Turning to the source of the voice, I saw a girl of not more than twenty-five with short brown hair and a green scarf wrapped around her elbows. "Don't be afraid, I'm responsible for everything."  
  
"How did you manage such a feat? Did you freeze time?" I asked with query, confused that that this girl could do such magic.  
  
"I was born with it," she replied, giving a mild smile and advancing towards me. "I made you dream in the future."  
  
"Future?!?" I was confused at what was going on. "So...this is the future? But Braska is Yunie's father." The girl came forward to give me a pat on the shoulder.  
  
"You'll know in due course," she responded to my confusion. "It's still too early to find out about anything. But you'll eventually discover the truth. Now we must return."  
  
"Return?"  
  
"Back to your original place," she answered. "The place where you had fainted previously." At once, she closed her eyes which made me faint from a strange dizziness in my head.  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
I stirred to find myself on the floor. In front of me were Yuna and the rest of them bearing worried looks. I got up to notice that Seymour was just beside me, his hand grabbing my arm. Attempts to pull myself away from him was futile. "Seymour!" I heard Tidus' voice. "This has nothing to do with Rikku; leave her alone."  
  
"Before I die," he gave a sinister response, grabbing my arm tighter by the minute. "She will be sacrificed to Yevon." He turned to me and came close, whispering into my eyes, "Prepare to meet the mistress."  
  
'_Cyja sa, Auron!_' I pleaded for help in my mind, hoping that the stoic guardian would come to my rescue. '_Ed'c hud so dinh du tea oad!_'  
  
"Die, wretched Al Bhed!" he cried out, clutching at my throat tightly with his other hand. I gasped for air as I inhaled less and less air. The grip tightened on my throat, making me dizzy from the lack of air. I closed my eyes to say goodbye for the last time but somehow felt the grip loosen.  
  
-------------------------------------------  
  
"Rikku! Rikku!" I heard several words that were familiar. I opened my eyes to see Tidus' and Lulu's faces, relieved that they had saved me from Seymour's evil.  
  
"Yuna...you would pity me now?" I looked to see that Seymour had fallen on his knees. Upon saying the few words, he looked at me. "You will pay for this, Al Bhed!" With that the grand master collapsed to the ground dead, his eyes staring blankly at me eerily. Yunie came over to close them, making me a little relieved.  
  
"Lord Seymour!" I heard a familiar voice in the temple. Tromell, the servant of Seymour, had burst into the room with two other assistants to see the commotion. "What happened here?"  
  
"What...what have I done?" Wakka stammered as he took steps back shocked with grief that he had killed an important figure in the Yevonite hierarchy.  
  
"Wait a minute!" Tidus butted in, declaring Yuna's innocence. "It's not our fault at all! Seymour struck first! He's the bad guy!"  
  
Tromell stood up to look at us with an angry look on his face, especially with the blaming directed at me. "Who did this?" he ordered angrily.  
  
"Yuna," I heard Auron's cold but sensible advice. "Send him."  
  
"No, stop!" Tromell pushed us back. "Stay away from him, traitors!" Yunie dropped to her knees as Seymour's body was carried out by the two Guado servants.  
  
"Traitors?"  
  
"We're finished," Wakka wailed irritatingly.  
  
"Now just hold on a minute!" Tidus interrupted, obviously trying to lift our spirits. "Seymour's the bad guy, right?" He tried to help the shaken Yuna. "We'll just explain to everyone what happened!"  
  
"It won't be easy..." Auron trailed off. "Let's get out of here," he responded by exiting out of the room.  
  
----------------------------------  
  
"Gimme a break!" Tidus moaned as the bottom of the tunnel vanished beneath our feet. It was to no avail; we had to complete the cloister of trials before the problem could be solved. Lulu only shook her head in reply before preparing to initiate the cloister of trails.

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**How was it? I hope it ain't too boring! =/ Okay, looks like I'm bad at writing AU and I guess I've got to improve on writing fiction too. See ya' soon! And I apologize again for the long wait!**


	12. Under the Lake

**Chapter Twelve : Under the Lake  
  
Hi again! I thank everyone once again for your wonderful reviews, and I'll continue to write more. Somehow I wondered that the previous chapter was rather of a bore 'cause I was nearly whisked off to dreamland from writing that segment of the story. ((Just joking!! =P)) Okay, enjoy the next chapter!**

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**Chapter Twelve**  
  
"Please..." Yuna pleaded with the guards at the temple exit as we arrived finally there. Tromell had a look on his face that represented his determination to arrest us and bring us before the top positions in the Yevon hierarchy.  
  
"Give us a chance to explain," came the same cold reply but in a rather pleading tone too.  
  
"No need," Tromell was stubborn in hearing our explanation. "I already know what I'll tell the other maesters."  
  
"Meaning...?" spoke the former.  
  
"Lord Seymour was the leader of the Guado before becoming a maester."  
  
"You're not letting us go," Tidus spoke with animosity.  
  
"Let you go?" the servant of Seymour replied with a sarcastic response. "Lord Seymour would never forgive us if we did."  
  
"Wait, wait!" I tried to help out in trying to exit the temple by remembering a strong clue that we had found earlier on. "Jyscal's sphere! We can show it to them!"  
  
"You mean this?" Tromell responded to my suggestion holding up a sphere. "The Guado takes care of Guado affairs!" he answered sinisterly while crushing the sphere until it broke into many pieces. It was no good; our last clue of acquitting ourselves was gone.  
  
"Away!" Kimahri roared trying to solve the situation once and for all.  
  
"Run!" Auron instructed as he gave the group a slight push towards the temple exit. Ignoring anything that was here, I took my sprint towards the temple exit and running away from the wretched building.  
  
------------------------------------------------  
  
"This isn't good..." I spoke as we stopped in front of a big monster controlled by the Guado guards. A wendigo was the not the best choice for fighting judging from its strength and physical power. "Are we going to fight this here?"  
  
"There is no choice," Auron snapped. I looked at the area for battle. The place was a gigantic sheet of ice covering the entire Lake Macalania and showed a heavy risk of it breaking into pieces should we do anything funny.  
  
"Ur famm, mad'c ku!" I cheered as we proceeded to our battle positions opposite the abomination. The wendigo simply gave a roar as it came closer to us.  
  
"Rikku, you should go to that side to rest," I heard the 'good' advice of Auron as he returned from one blow on the monster.  
  
"Hey, I'm fighting fit!" I argued back as the battle progressed, trying to attack the wendigo with my might.  
  
"You may get possessed."  
  
"Possessed?" I asked back. "What d'ya mean by possessed?"  
  
"It's nothing," came the reply of the stoical. "Just go." I was simply confused at his words but ignored it.  
  
"Auron," I replied back to him sarcastically. "Never ask an Al Bhed to be left out of something." I ran forward to give another blow on the wendigo, managing to steal another precious elixir from it.  
  
"Be careful!" I heard Yuna's sounding advice before the wendigo gave a hard pound on the ice floor. Hairline cracks appeared on the floor which evolved into larger crevices that signified the end of the ice floor's stability. Before anyone could know it, the floor gave way and made us fall into the large black hole beneath it. With that the monster collapsed to the floor from afar.  
  
----------------------------------------------  
  
I stirred as I felt the hard floor. A freezing feeling felt behind me, I got up to notice that I was in a ruined ancient city with beautiful architecture. Everyone around had their eyes closed with the exception of Lulu opening hers.  
  
"Lulu, are ya alright?" I ran over to her as she regained consciousness. She turned her fiery gaze towards me.  
  
"It's okay," she answered. "Where are we?" I looked around to determine our location. Looking up I knew the place immediately.  
  
"Beneath the lake," I pointed my finger upwards to the temple above. She looked up and gave a nod. "What should we do now?"  
  
"Wait," came her short reply. "We wait until the rest have come round." I nodded my head at the best practical method of what to do next. In the distance my eye could a familiar figure rise.  
  
"Hey, ya alright?" I ran to the crimson guardian as he came forward to me. He gave no reply. "Hellooo?" I stretched and waved my hand at him, too short to reach up to his face. He scorned at me, returning back to his usual self.  
  
"We wait," his reply came the same as Lulu's. Deep inside me a plan began to formulate within.  
  
"Auron, would ya' mind holding me to the same height as you?" I replied.  
  
"That is senseless," his soft reply came.  
  
"I'd just like to know how it feels to be that tall," I explained squatting down to make him look like a towering figure. With no warning, the red guardian took me by the hips and raised me to the same height as him.  
  
"That should be enough," he answered as I looked around to have the feeling of being a giant. I gave a signal to stop him and gave the old guardian a small peck on the cheek. Suddenly, his grip on me was lost causing me to fall to the ground.  
  
"Meanie!" I cried out in slight pain to make Auron remorseful. "I didn't ask you to drop me." The guardian remained silent.  
  
"Can't ya' even apologize?" I asked him in irritancy.  
  
"I..." came the stammered answer. Auron's face had turned red from the peck that I gave him; a slight brownish-red look on his tanned visage. "My apologies."  
  
"Oh whatever!" I was tired of his apologetic phrase. "You're such a meanie! I'm going to check on the rest, bye!" With that I ran back to the other side to find that the others except Yuna and Tidus were awake.  
  
---------------------------------------------------  
  
I turned to see Tidus looking at me. He was probably cooping up lots of questions in his head, preparing to question me. I took a deep breath and look at him.  
  
"I'm sure Yunie's okay," I assured him of Yuna. "She's breathing fine and all," I replied and remembered that I had not returned to Lulu at all. "How are Lulu and Wakka?"  
  
"Well, Wakka's in shock," he reported. "Can't blame him, either," my close friend continued as he shrugged his head. "And Lulu, well, she's just the same as always."  
  
"She's so together," I replied praising Lulu's calmness in any event and impressed that she was not emotionally affected at all. "All grown up, I guess."  
  
"I guess."  
  
"Well, just give me five or six more years," I joked at my lack of maturity in me. Tidus gave a small nod and turned to nearby Kimahri. I assumed that he was going to ask about Yuna.  
  
"So, Kimahri, how do we get out of here?" he asked the Ronso, which made me gaped at my wrong prediction.  
  
"Hey, don't change the subject!" I nudged Tidus back, hinting to him to ask Kimahri about Yunie.  
  
"We climb."  
  
"Kimahri, too!" I tried to make the Ronso guardian hint to Tidus as well. Kimahri looked back at me with his fierce saffron eyes which made me shudder.  
  
"Only those who try will become."  
  
"Huh?" I was astonished his sudden irrelevant answer.  
  
"I think he means that you have to work hard if you want to be like Lulu," Tidus interpreted.  
  
"Oh I will!" I finally had the gist of Kimahri's sayings.  
  
"Kimahri thinks that Rikku should stay Rikku," the blue guardian interrupted.  
  
"Hey!" I accosted Kimahri at his crude remark. "Are you saying I'll never be like Lulu? Kimahri!" I could only hear Tidus laughing away at our slight feud. Suddenly, Wakka came to us.  
  
"How can you laugh at a time like this?" Wakka asked with irritancy. Another scene caught my eye; my cousin summoner was coming round.  
  
"Yuna!" Tidus gave a cry as he ran over to her.  
  
"Rikku, could you inform Auron that Yuna has come round?" Lulu came up to me.  
  
"Why me?" I was shocked at them passing the buck.  
  
"You're 'closest' to him," Lulu gave another cold reply and walked back to Yuna. I turned to ran in the direction which led me to the crimson guardian.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Coming back for trouble?" I heard the abrupt sound in Auron as I approached him.  
  
"Well...yes and no," I answered to his peculiar question. The crimson guardian was seated on one metal pipe. Auron gave a chuckle.  
  
"You remind me of someone," he replied with nostalgia.  
  
"It's that Al Bhed, right?" I tried to hit the nail on his head.  
  
"No," he snapped back. It was obvious that Auron was lying. Usually, it would take him less than the smallest unit of time to give a false answer. Remembering my purpose for coming, I came up to him.  
  
"It's Yuna," I spoke. "She has come round."  
  
"I'll be there," he replied.  
  
"Don't you wanna go there now?" I replied sarcastically as I pretended to be amazed at his behaviour.  
  
"Go first," he instructed.  
  
"Oh fine," I replied back and rushed back to the scene to check on Yuna.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"I want to confront Maester Seymour about his father, Lord Jyscal," Yuna explained to us all as we looked to her for the sudden action that she took in agreeing to the marriage. "I wanted to convince him to turn himself to Yevon's judgement."  
  
"In exchange for marriage?" Lulu asked her. Yunie gave a nod.  
  
"Yes, if that's what it took."  
  
"So, what did Seymour say?" Tidus queried about the result.  
  
"He didn't say anything," she continued. "Now...now I don't even think that it was worth it," Yuna showed some regret. "I should've told you what I was going to do."  
  
"Enough," Auron snapped back as he just came up to us. "Dwelling in the past is futile."  
  
"Hey!" I turned to him, a little angry at his hurting words. "You don't have to say it like that!"  
  
"You want to waste time listening to her regrets?"  
  
"You don't have to say it like that," I faced Yuna while trying to reply to Auron's argument.  
  
"Our immediate concern is Yuna's pilgrimage," the crimson guardian explained while making his way before the summoner. "Are you willing to go on?"  
  
"Yes," Yuna replied with determination and looked up at Auron. "But then, do you think that Yevon would allow it?"  
  
"The fayth are the ones that give power to the summoners," he stated his explanation. "Not the temples or the teachings," he continued. "If the temples try to stop us..." Auron closed his eye and took a deep breath. "Then we will defy Yevon if we must."  
  
"Whoa!" Tidus butted in shocked at Auron's sudden suggestion. I too was amazed at the red guardian's sudden decision.  
  
"I can't believe you said that!" I exclaimed at Auron's sudden 'bad-boy' attitude.  
  
"Sir Auron?!" Lulu was shocked too.  
  
"Count me out," Wakka turned away. "We have to atone, to make up for the sins we committed." He continued, "Of course...It's not like I ever liked Maester Seymour, ya?" "No way I'll ever forgive him for killing Lord Jyscal," the blitzball captain continued his stand. "And for trying to do us all in, you know? But still, the bunch of us going against Yevon," he trembled at the thought. "No way!"  
  
"But still," Lulu responded. "We have transgressed and must face our punishment."  
  
"We must go to Bevelle," Yuna decided as she came to lead us. "We must speak with Maester Mika and explain what has happened. There's no other way, I think."  
  
"I agree," Wakka nodded his head in unison.  
  
"Sir Auron..." Yunie turned to the red guardian again.  
  
"So it is decided."  
  
"Will you come with us?" Yuna asked the stoical.  
  
"I am the troublemaker," the guardian gave a rare scowl. "After all."  
  
"Yeah, that's right!" Tidus tried to add in some humour. "You can always count on Auron to complicate things!"  
  
"Yeah!" I joined in the fun. "Kimahri roars, and Auron runs off, and..."  
  
"I never asked you to follow me," Auron replied back frigidly to me.  
  
"Hey, but that's what friends are made for," Tidus intervened. "Right?"  
  
"Yep!" Came by quick enthusiastic reply. I could see Auron giving another arrogant smile again.  
  
"Thank you," Yuna came up to Tidus and I in which he shrugged his head with Auron walking away.  
  
"Friends, huh?" I spoke sarcastically, wanting to play gooseberry.  
  
"Man...How can all of you act like nothing's wrong?" Wakka came up to us annoyed. "Must got nerves of steel or something."  
  
"You're too edgy," Lulu advised the conservative Besaidian. "Listen to the hymn and calm down." It was at this time that I noticed that a hymn was coming from above; from the temple. It was soothing from the humming of the fayth.  
  
"Is that coming from the temple?" Tidus questioned the experienced guardian- mage.  
  
"Yes, it's Yevon's gift," Yuna interrupted in. "It soothes the hearts of the faithful." Following that Tidus walked away to see Auron who was in the distance.  
  
"Not following him?" I tried to help Yunie. She returned with yet another smile.  
  
"He's got to have some privacy too."  
  
"Well...since Seymour's dead," I hinted. "You can be with Tidus."  
  
"Rikku, what I want to do now is to just complete my pilgrimage," she replied back cheerfully. "Emotions can be kept until later."  
  
"But Yunie, you will..." I stopped as she beckoned me to stop.  
  
"It's okay to like someone even if the other doesn't return it," she answered back with a noble rejoinder.  
  
"You can't suppress feelings, you know?"  
  
"Well, what about you?" she answered back trying to get back at me. "You've been with Sir Auron." I took one look at her and started laughing hysterically.  
  
"Auron?!? You mean that meanie and absent-minded guardian?" I continued to laugh. "If he was the last man in Spira, I would rather not be with him."  
  
"It is rude to insult Sir Auron like that," she replied. "Besides, he has saved you many times."  
  
"Well maybe," I answered back. "I already have a sweetheart back home."  
  
"That Al Bhed guy you always talk about?"  
  
"Well...yes," I answered back, remembering the boy whom I had a crush on since the age of twelve. "And he's a much better choice than the old guardian."  
  
"Yunie," I tried to change the subject. "Have you seen this Lyna?"  
  
"I suppose so," she gave a short reply. "She was with my father when they bypassed Bevelle to go north."  
  
"Tell me what she look like."  
  
"She looked like you," Yunie gave a sudden answer. "But a lot older too."  
  
"Really?!?" I was amazed at this strange coincidence. "This is such a coincidence."  
  
"Yes...." She answered when the floor started shaking.  
  
"The singing stopped," Lulu exclaimed as she came back to us.  
  
"There's something here!" Wakka started to panic.  
  
"The ground!" Auron warned as the quake grew stronger. I looked up to see a familiar creature in the water; the creature of death.  
  
"Sin!?" Yuna looked up in shock. I gasped as the monster started to do its dirty work and noticed that Wakka was shocked too.  
  
"The toxin!" Lulu warned. "Watch out!" Before I could know anything, the power of Sin's toxin was so great that it caused me to lose consciousness and collapse to the ground.

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**Okay, end of this chapter. There is not much of an AU here 'cause I would prefer the story to be a bit original but the AUs should be coming soon. Until then, bye!**


	13. Back to Home

**Chapter Thirteen: Back to Home  
  
Hey guys! Welcome back to the next chapter! =P I may using songs to make all of you readers to picture the upcoming chapters soon. Okay, have a nice time readin' this chapter.**

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**Chapter Thirteen**  
  
I woke up to find the glaring sun shining into my eyes. The temperature had suddenly taken a major antipodean change as I turned to sense my surroundings. Looking around the area I saw mere dunes of brownish rough sand which gave me a sense of familiarity with the region.  
  
'_Luimt drec pa?_' I thought to myself as I scouted the area three hundred and sixty degrees. Upon carefully searching for things in the sand I found one that made me recognize the area and made me relieved. '_Home. E's_ _Home_'  
  
Trudging across the sandy ground I felt the piercing rays of heat bombarding upon my bare skin at the abdomen. In the distance my eye spotted a survival kit left by Home. I touched the kit's button as it sprang to life with a buzzing sound.  
  
"Rikku!"  
  
I turned to see who had suddenly called me out. Turning my head to the source of the sound I saw the one and only Lulu. She did not seem to be feeling warm judging from the thick black fur coat she wore. Coming up to me she took a deep breath.  
  
"Do you have any water?" the black mage requested. "Sir Auron doesn't seem good to me." She pointed to her back which showed the slightly limping crimson guardian marching among the dunes of sand. I nodded in response and proceeded to manipulate the survival machina.  
  
"Here!" I took out a seamless leather pouch that was 'vomited' by the survival kit. "Take it to him!" Lulu grabbed the pouch and ran over to the guardian's side.  
  
'_Ra'c puiht du navica..._' I stared at the two guardian with one trying to help the other which resulted in the latter pushing the leather pouch away. Shaking my head I took a quick run to the two guardians.  
  
"I'm fine," said the crimson guardian with a cold voice that could freeze the air around him and pushed away the water bearer for the umpteenth time.  
  
"No you're not!" Lulu responded with his refusal, pushing back the pouch of water to him. "Look at you limping away. Please Sir Auron."  
  
"There's no need," he gave another cold rejoinder. "Our main goal is to find Lady Yu..."  
  
"Would Yuna want to see you in this state?"  
  
Auron turned up to see the usual me-opposing-him I. His mouth had a desire to argue back but the elder guardian walked away instead. Lulu shook her head as she observed the guardian press on into the desert with a weak constitution. In a split second the crimson guardian had fallen onto the ground with a small 'thud'.  
  
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"Lulu, is that all?" I asked the survival-expert guardian. Being on a double pilgrimage was enough to make the black mage one already. She came over to look at the lying guardian as he lay on the hard floor with the same pouch to support the head.  
  
"He doesn't seem to be coming round," she answered while observing the unconscious old guardian. Giving him another full observation, Lulu turned back to look at me. "Loosening some of his clothing might be a good choice."  
  
I looked at what equipment had been removed from the unconscious Auron: his giant sword, the most obvious reason for fainting; his jug of strange liquid, the heavy crimson coat which made Lulu and I pant upon carrying it. How on earth could this guardian possibly carry such material on his body? Removing the buckle on his dark belt I continued to look at his scarred face with the horrid gash 'adorned' vertically on his permanently-shut eye.  
  
"...my...fault...to...blame..." Auron muttered some strange words as he made some movements in his unconscious state. Proceeding to return to Lulu I felt a large grip on my small arm with the obvious culprit.  
  
"...don't...leave..."  
  
I looked at Auron as he grabbed my hand. A pitiful expression wore across his face which made it rather different from the frequent stoic ones he wore per normal. The guardian was just like a frightened little child who would suddenly hold his parents' hands upon sensing danger around.  
  
'_Hmmm....Syopa E lyh bimm y zuga uh res,_' a crazy idea began to generate within my Al Bhed mind.  
  
I bended down to the man who was still holding to my arm. With my gentlest and sweetest voice I place my lips close to his ears. "Don't worry," I began with his grip loosening. "Sis ensures that everything's alright!" With that the crimson guardian gave a rare smile and released upon instance.  
  
"That was strange, wasn't it?" I stood up to walk over to Lulu who was still observing the surroundings. We had initially brought Auron over to a shelter where the three of us had remained there to check for anyone familiar who would trudge through the giant sand dunes of the Bikanel desert.  
  
"Perhaps," the black mage responded as she took a glance at the peaceful guardian at rest. "Sir Auron has a past that all of us are unknown of." I nodded as I observed how the legendary guardian could have had a secret hidden, possibly scarred past.  
  
"Rikku, should we be searching for the others?" Lulu asked after a long while as we looked out at the glaring sandy landscape.  
  
"There's a sandstorm out there," I replied. It would be dangerous to go out there in the middle of one powerful force of Nature possibly whipped up by Yevon as possibly believed by the people whom I was traveling on a pilgrimage with. However, in my mind were only worries for Yuna being out in the sand and not being rescued by my fellow men.  
  
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"Rikku, he's coming round," Lulu beckoned to me as I turned to see the red guardian stirring from his deep slumber with her having a little trouble helping the legendary guardian up. Knowing that Auron had a strong big body, I rushed over to help the 'giant' up.  
  
"We have wasted time," the crimson guardian gave a slight admonition upon standing up as he looked at us annoyingly. "There was no need to rest."  
  
'_Ihknydavim vuum..._'  
  
Auron continued to give his long harangues as he prepared his regular items and equipping his giant sword. Within moments he was exiting the shelter.  
  
"Wait! Where are you going in this sandstorm?" I shouted back to him as he placed his large sword on his broad shoulders.  
  
"Find the rest," he replied with Lulu looking back at me before returning to join the red guardian.  
  
"Stay here Rikku," she ordered. "Come out when the sandstorm is clear." Following that the red and black guardians ran into the thick fog of the sandstorm, leaving a lonely me waiting in the shelter.  
  
I picked and threw a piece of sandstone as I looked at the raging storm. It had probably being hours since they had left the area. As I looked around the area my eye caught a rock with an engraving on it. I took fits of giggling as nostalgia began to fill my mind.  
  
_"Rao Rikku!" he had called out to me as we ran across the sandy landscape. We had escaped from a giant worm which could have nearly turned us into pulp for its dinner. Panting onto a rock I looked as he came back to me. "Cusadrehk'c ihnekrd?"  
  
"Hudrehk," I replied as we looked at the rock with its weathered surface. "Braf! Teth'd aqbald ic du nih vnus dryd ypusehydeuh!"  
  
"Rikku, fa yna pudr milgo," he patted my shoulder. "E ghuf! Mad'c ahknyja cusadrehk uh drec nulg." He picked up a smaller but sharper stone and began to engrave his writings on it.  
  
"Dryd'c buehdmacc!" I responded to his balmy idea of engraving on a rock that was often weathered from the strong sandstorms that raged frequently. "Ed femm jyhecr." Before I could know it my eye caught the words: 'Pacd Vneahtc Vunajan!'  
  
"Rao, Dryhgoui!" I gave him a warm hug in the desert before we proceeded to return back in the direction of Home.  
_  
I returned back to the real world from my world of memories. Noticing that the sandstorm had been cleared I got up to exit the area to find Lulu and Auron. I walked to the old rock as its weathered engravings had endured the test of nature and remained there. Touching the rock for the last time, I turned to the direction of their movement and ran across the sandy landscape of the desert, avoiding any monster plants along the way.  
  
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"Oh!" I ran to meet all of them after trudging through the sand for a long while and failing to spot Yunie along the way too. "Hey guys! Where's Yunie?"  
  
"Gone," came Tidus' soft reply to me. They had looked like a bunch of people who had just encountered some battles.  
  
"Gone...some guardian I am," Lulu lost confidence as she berated herself for the loss of Yunie. She looked happy awhile ago in the shelter but had now lost all confidence from Yunie's disappearance. At this point I knew that there was only one place where Yunie could have definitely been sent to.  
  
"Umm..." I began to speak, forcing the secret of our people closed so tightly within me to be disclosed. "There's something I wanna tell you, but promise not to say anything."  
  
Wakka gave a slight angry look at me judging that his sudden prejudice against me had not been cured yet.  
  
"No glaring either!" I replied back to make myself calm. "I know where we are. We're on Bikanel Island," I continued as I disclosed the Al Bhed secret residence. "There's a place us Al Bhed call Home near here," more words of the forbidden secret shot through my lips. "Yunie's there, I'm sure of it!" I exclaimed and told where Yuna could most likely be. "Other Al Bhed must've come and rescued her!"  
  
"Rescued? You mean kidnapped?" Wakka butted in.  
  
"What does it matter as long as she's safe?" Tidus rebuked his fellow blitzball player.  
  
"That's right!" I was secretly praising Tidus' unbiased view of people. "Anyway, I will take you there if you promise..." a deal began to form in my mind. "...that you won't tell anyone about it."  
  
"Especially not Yevonites, okay?" I asked for their cooperation while looking at their expressions with Wakka's expression being the only bitter one. "You know they don't like us Al Bhed. Who knows what they'll do if they knew?"  
  
"Gimme a break," Wakka began to argue back. "What are you accusing Yevon of this time?"  
  
"Yevon did something really bad to us before."  
  
"Well, you Al Bhed must've deserved it," he replied coolly. The next sound I could hear was a sound of irritancy from a frustrated Tidus who was about to go insane without Yuna around.  
  
"Can't you guys...talk about this later?" He emphasized the urgency to find Yuna.  
  
"Just promise you won't tell anyone about this island." I gave an ultimatum and stretched my little finger. "Promise?"  
  
"Wakka, come on!" Tidus persuaded.  
  
"All right, I promise," agreed Wakka reluctantly as we crossed little fingers. "Lead the way."  
  
"You got it!"  
  
"Hey, Auron," I ran back to him as we met in battle with a monster plant that blocked the way. "You okay?"  
  
"It doesn't concern you," he replied coldly walking to battle. Feeling irritated at his attitude again I pulled back his crimson coat. "Disturb me no more."  
  
"Auron, Legendary Guardian of Lord Braska!" I tugged at his coat. "It is very rude of you to ignore a simple question given to a concern fellow guardian of yours!"  
  
"And it is childish of you to do that," he turned his head back slightly. "Let go."  
  
"Rikku," Lulu suggested. "Perhaps our main goal is to find Yuna and not for you to flirt with Sir Auron." I looked at the black guardian with disbelief, releasing my grip on the crimson coat instantly. Following that Auron turned his hand behind to withdraw his humongous sword and to aim it at the monster plant.  
  
"I'm not flirtin' with Auron!" I argued back with Lulu at her sudden profanity at me. I was beginning to feel that I had once again become childish.  
  
"That's your choice," she answered frigidly. "But let's go," she pointed to the dead plant which had just been slain by Auron's heavy-damage sword moves. I agreed as I ran to the front to lead the way to Home by habit.  
  
"Over here!" I signaled to the group as I ran up the sand dune. My enthusiasm was short-lived as I saw a horrible sight that made history repeat at the top of the sand dune. "Aaaaaa!"  
  
"Rikku!" Tidus came up to me share the horrid sight.  
  
"What? Yuna's down there?" Wakka asked in shock at the sight of Home being destroyed. Auron remained silent as he came up with not a single sign of expression on his face.  
  
"Of all the places...Let's go!" Lulu gave us a sense of urgency to save Yuna as we raced down the sand dune to a burning Home.

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**Okay! End of Chapter Thirteen! It's not much of an AU, but I guess it'd do! =P Anyway, if you do find the English translations of Al Bhed a little strange, I'd say that I had modified some words purposely to make the language more unique rather than some crazy exact 'alter-ego' of English. This chapter is mainly on the real story and you must be wondering why my story title has got to do with the real story. The answer is that more will be unfolded in future so be prepared for future chapters as the plot thickens further. [By the way, the plot has not thickened much yet!] Okay, end of my chatter, bye!**


	14. Back at Home but with a Price to Pay

**Chapter Fourteen: Back at Home...but with a price to pay  
  
Hi guys, I'm back again with my next chapter. I hope that none of you had waited long for this installment to come by! =/ Let's enjoy the Aurikku development as the story goes on!**

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**Chapter Fourteen**  
  
"Keyakku!" I ran across to see the Al Bhed who had just collapsed to the ground with a bleeding wound on his abdomen, with his hand clutching it. Holding him up a little, I proceeded to question who had did it to my close childhood friend of fifteen years. "Who? Who's attacking us? Fru tet drec du oui?"  
  
"Yevon...Guado..." he spoke as he breathed his last, giving a final collapse to the ground. He was gone, simply gone. My best friend had just left me alone in Spira.  
  
"Keyakku? Keyakku!" I shook his lifeless body refusing to accept his death. Tears were starting to roll down my cheeks as I tried to 'revive' him with all my might, but tried to hold them back to prove that I was not just going to let the wicked Yevonites win the fight.  
  
"A war?" Lulu questioned as I continued to look at my departed friend. "Between Yevon and Al Bhed?"  
  
"Dryd ec fnuhk!" I heard a familiar sharp response which made me turn to see who had snapped back at Lulu. "Guado ku vun dra summoner."  
  
"Vydran..." I signaled to him as he approached us. Kneeling before me, Vydran took his turn to look at Keyakku. A shook on his head as he felt Keyakku's pulse confirmed that he had already passed into the next stage of Life. With a signal to make me move on, I gave a simple nod. "Oac E femm, Vydran."  
  
Continuing to hold back my emotions, I placed my lips close to his ear. "Pacd Vneahtc Vunajan...Kuutpoa vun huf." With a heavy heart to leave his limp body by the battlefield, I pulled myself away from the scene. Vydran turned to the rest of the group.  
  
"You Rikku's friend?" He interrogated them. "Well, don't just stand there, come on!" He signaled to help in escape, which was our most probable way of avoiding further bloodshed and atrocities committed by the damned Yevonite loyalists. Vydran continued his encouragement, with no feelings about Keyakku's tragic death, "Let's go kick those Guado out of our Home!"  
  
Trying to ensure that I bade Keyyaku the final Spiran farwell I continued to stay for a while as the rest, with the exception of Tidus, proceeded into the large building.  
  
"Who...?" Asked the boy from Zanarkand.  
  
"Cid," I gave my short reply while trying to stop the feelings of revenge and impulse from entering my mind. "Leader of the Al Bhed...He's my dad."  
  
"Let's go."  
  
"Yeah. We have to save Yunie."  
  
"Not only Yunie. Right?"  
  
"Right!" I replied back before rushing into Home.  
  
"Yuna! Where are you?" Wakka called out throughout the building as everywhere lied in ruins. It had been quite a while since we had entered the damaged Home. All of a sudden, I saw Auron pushing my away from the scene. A large deafening sound ensued as soon as I had exited my original position. What used to my original position on the floor was a blacked spot of soot.  
  
I turned to see a Guado soldier with his 3 pet Bomb fiends. In his hand was one small grenade, the other hand empty from having to throw the other grenade at me. It was time to start battle as we proceeded to our battle engagement.  
  
"Hand over the Al Bhed girl and the Maesters will forgive you traitors!" He stated his terms clearly, with his sharp finger pointing at me. The battle had yet to begin but this Guado soldier was aimed at capturing me.  
  
"Why would you need a useless Al Bhed like her?" I heard the deep voice of the wizened guardian. He stood by my side with his giant sword pointing at the Guado's body.  
  
"It is just based on the Maesters' orders, and your acts of treason will be lifted if you would hand over the wretched Al Bhed heathen over!" He stated his reasons. "Or remain as traitors of Yevon if you do wish!" As soon as he was finished, the Guado soldier locked on to his battle positions while signaling to his Bomb fiends to prepare for assault on us.  
  
"What in Yevon's name are those Guado thinking?" Wakka queried while being shocked at what was happening.  
  
"This is terrible!" I replied back to him, trying to tell him that Yevon teachings had been abused by the users themselves. Trying to avoid other dangers we ran into the following room that came in front of us.  
  
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"Drec pedac!" I heard Vydran's voice thunder through the machina system used to project voices throughout the large Home. "Rikku! Oui nayt sa? Oui ku ihtan, duu! E ys majamehk Home!" His orders came as a horror to me. So it was going to happen again; history was repeating itself once more. "Yht dra fiend fedr ed!"  
  
"Oh, no!" I cried out in horror at his strongest point, which was to obliterate Home once again.  
  
"What'd he say!?" Wakka questioned.  
  
"We have to get underground!"  
  
"Where's Yuna?" Auron showed his strong guardianship concern again.  
  
"The Summoner's Sanctum! This way!" I replied while beckoning to make them follow me. Soon we came to a large door that was slightly open. "Over here!"  
  
"This place's done for," Wakka commented as he surveyed the burning rooms where the Guado had laid waste to.  
  
"You're right. You're right, Wakka," I replied softly, and sadly, to his somehow hurting comments. "We Al Bhed, we...we weren't always like this," I began my explanation to help him understand my Yevon-cursed culture and race. "Sin destroyed the island where we all used to live. After that we were scattered to every corner of Spira," I continued with my tone becoming sadder and on the verge of bursting in tears. "But then, my dad brought back the Al Bhed together again. If we put our minds to it and worked together, then we could make a new Home." I stood to pause for a moment.  
  
"Everyone worked hard, we had our Home back again..." I reopened my eyes to continue my race's tragic story. "But now...Why did things have to turn out this way?" Before I could finish my sentence properly, two beasts commanded by a Guado soldier had apprehended us, with Auron waving his sword to fight the ambush off.  
  
I engaged into battle as the beasts confronted us in front. Wakka gave a heave and shook as he came up beside me, "Rikku...Damn those Guado! What are they thinking?"  
  
"Rikku, what is the Summoners' Sanctum?" Lulu questioned as I tried to find it for there was limited time left.  
  
"The Summoners' Sanctum is where we keep the summoners," I responded to her curious question. "We keep them safe there."  
  
"You kidnapped them," Wakka gave an unreasonable interruption. I gave several nods in response.  
  
"I know it's against the teachings and all that..."  
  
"I get why you did it, but..." He butted in some more.  
  
"Well, I sure don't get it, Wakka." Came Tidus' reply to cheer the worried group up. "They might get hurt on their pilgrimage so you kidnap them?" He continued his argument. "I mean, if the summoners don't do their job, then who will beat Sin? You want to protect them, I know. But guardians are there for that." He took a small pause to look at us. "If guardians do their job well, summoners will be safe!"  
  
The entire ambience was silent, with only Tidus trying to break the silence with a 'Right?'  
  
"Right!?" he was getting impatient with the group's abrupt silence.  
  
"It's quiet," came one of Kimahri's rare words. "Kimahri goes now." Upon finishing his words the Ronso continued to walk down the stairs. With me and Tidus remaining behind the rest continued on their way down.  
  
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"Yuna, please be here!" I tried to express my hope as I ran into the Sanctum. The sight horrified me as dead bodies surrounded the room with fire still burning in it.  
  
"Yuna!" Kimahri called out for his summoner. Silence followed with a person break its silence.  
  
"She's not here," came another summoner's reply as she came near us. "Hello again. Wait there until we have performed the sending."  
  
"They died...protecting us," another summoner but a male one this time came up to us. "It's not much, but the least we can do is give them a proper sending."  
  
In an instance a young boy came up to us to Tidus. "Hey, what's 'sacrifice'? He questioned bigger brother Tidus. "The Al Bhed said summoners were being sacrificed. That summoners shouldn't have to do a pilgrimage..."  
  
"Why couldn't they trust guardians to protect summoners..." I could see that he was getting confused about this matter too and probably unaware of the tragic fate summoners would face at the end of the long journey. "The Al Bhed have no right in stopping their pilgrimage!"  
  
"The pilgrimages have to stop!" I had to enlighten Tidus about the dark truth behind the pilgrimage. "If they don't, and they get to Zanarkand...They might defeat Sin. Yunie could..but then..." I paused to give myself courage to reveal the truth. "Yunie will die, you know?"  
  
I could see Tidus' shocked expression. Refusing to be hesitant on the truth, I continued with my enlightenment. "You know, don't you?" I questioned him. "Summoners journey to get the Final Aeon. Yuna told you, didnt't she?" I was insistent on telling more. "With the Final Aeon, she can beat Sin...but then...If she calls it, the Final Aeon's gonna kill her," more forbidden words came out of my mouth. "Even if she defeats Sin, it will kill Yunie too, you know?"  
  
With my last word, I fell onto the floor in anguish and angst. It was definite that Yuna would have to die when she obtains the Final Aeon at Zanarkand. Keyakku had already left me, and I did not want Yuna to join the list of dead people as well.  
  
"Was I the one who didn't know?" Tidus came to me for answers. "Tell me why! Why were you hiding it? Why didn't I know?"  
  
"We weren't hiding it," Wakka explained.  
  
"It was just...just too hard to say," came Lulu's soft reply. I turned to look at both Auron and Kimahri being the only ones left to remain emotionless. Kimahri had a clear reason for being so; he had already knew the consequences. Auron, on the other hand, looked like he was indifferent to the possibility of Yunie dying. Tidus gave a shriek as he fell to the ground.  
  
"Lulu! How could you? How could you? Isn't she like a sister to you?" Tidus was angry at the lot of us now. "I thought you were family! Why don't you do something, Wakka?"  
  
"Don't you think we tried to stop her?" the black mage replied in irritancy. "She follows...her heart."  
  
"She knew what she was doing when she chose to become a summoner," Wakka told. "To face Sin, ya? Yuna knew!"  
  
"But Wakka, that's just totally wrong!" I tried to oppose his idea. "Summoners shouldn't have to sacrifice themselves...just so that the rest of Spira can be happy, right?"  
  
"But that is our choice..." the male summoner butted in.  
  
"We all live in fear of Sin. You know that," the other summoner added on to inform Tidus of the life of summoners.  
  
"A world without Sin...That is the dream of all Yevon's children," the former continued his words. "And we will use that power, even if it means our lives!" Suddenly, the two summoned aeons that had started to attack the new fiend that had being formed from an unsent.  
  
"And I've been telling Yuna," Tidus looked down at the floor with guilt. "Let's go to Zanarkand together! I told her all the things...we could...we could...But Yuna, she'd...jus smile." With that everyone had remained silent, with me squatting down to think of how stupid was I to tell the truth to Tidus.  
  
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"Haqd, fa ica dryd!" Vydran instructed Brother to press on the deadly button that would obliterate anything.  
  
"Frydajan oui cyo," Brother gave a reply and began to sing the Hymn of the Fayth. This gave me a signal to sing it too, attempting to remember every memory that I had at this beautiful Home where I grew up at.  
  
"What's goin' on?" Wakka asked me as he knew that I was wearing a sad expression on my face already.  
  
"We're...we're going to blow up our Home."  
  
"How?" Lulu asked with some uncertainty.  
  
"With one of the forbidden machina!" Vydran gave the rejoinder. Facing to another Al Bhed who had always been good at maneuvering aircrafts, he gave the instruction. "Nayto? Vena!"  
  
I turned to look at the window side as the missiles from the flying airship flew out to bombard Home, which enveloped in flames instantly. My horror was true as Home was obliterated. It was never going to come back ever, with us Al Bhed having to be on the run again without a stable life again.  
  
Remembering my best friend again who had now departed tragically, I turned to look at the fast approaching flames of the explosion. "Keyakku, Pacd Vneahtc Vunajan."  
  
Imagining an image of Seymour and the winged woman alongside each other on the glass window that showed the clouds being passed by quickly by the airship, I clenched my fist as I looked at my imaginary picture with feelings of revenge.  
  
'_Seymour yht oui femm byo vun drec..._'

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**There! Done like dinner! At this point there is not much Aurikku development yet 'cause most will happen in later episodes. At this moment, please take a rest to imagine how my next installment of this story will be. Until then, farewell! =)**


	15. My Sad Moments

**Chapter Fifteen: My Sad Moments**

**Hey Guys! Real sorry that I've not been updating for a long time; too busy with work and not much time for me to write the next chapter. But now, let's continue on the story...as long as I'm alive, this story will continue. ; )**

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**Chapter Fifteen**

I remained there with my feet rooted to the ground. Home was destroyed, with history repeating itself again. I had once sworn to prevent such an event from happening, but it had now happened. I was a failure for my actions. Vydran responded to me with his apologetic actions, but it could be forgiven. How could he betray our people when we had pledge years ago to prevent such an event from happening?

Feelings of anger and impulse filled me, powered by the feeling of revenge to avenge those who had died trying to protect Home from the wretched Guado.

"Hey, look." I heard Wakka's voice behind me, with his attempts to comfort me. "Don't get so down. Boom! Like happy festival fireworks, ya?"

"You can cram your happy festival, you big meanie!" I screamed back at him. He still had the cheek to enjoy the fireworks, fireworks that showed the end of Home. Angry with all of what has been done, I ran down the corridor of the airship, pushing others in my way. Not even noticing Rin by the side of the corridor, I continued to press on towards nowhere.

Pressing on a button on the wall quickly, I ran into a room with its seemingly soft bed. Too tired to feel what was going on around me, I knelt down and began to weep from my inability to control events and prevent Home from being destroyed.

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I had no idea how long I had been in the room. It was not too long before I could hear footsteps approaching me. It was either Auron or Lulu, judging that they wore boots that made similar sounds whenever there were footsteps to be made.

"I'm sorry Lulu," I tried to deter the person whom I assumed was coming from entering the room. "I'm not in the current mood to hear any advice or comforting."

I heard no sound, just with the footsteps of the boots making its way towards me.

"I said!" I began to raise my voice again. "Please leave this room!! I don't need your pity!" I felt a large gloved hand on my shoulder. My eyes widened as I began to know who that person was. I turned to see the big old guardian in red, with his glasses still in place. Still sporting a grumbled look, his eyebrows had finally changed shape to reveal some hesitation.

"What are you doing here?" I retorted at him. "Go and sulk about your Lyna if you want to. I'm not her!" I felt the hand withdraw from my shoulder at instance. Noticing his shiny sword behind him, I quickly grabbed it, unsure how I had the strength to take such a big sword. Filled with too much sorrow and remorse, I took the sword near to my neck, ready to end my life.

"Don't do anything childish!" He shouted out to me as he approached me. "What's done cannot be undone!" Auron was changing from a rather calm man to one that was rather panicky and worried.

"It's no use comforting me," I cried out back to him with tears in my eyes. "I'd rather die than have all these sorrows in life. I failed to save Home!" I drew the sword closer to my neck.

"Think about your father!" he responded instantly. "What would your family do without you?"

"I would join my mother!"

"Fine then!" He replied back with a cold tone. "Kill yourself, and leave Spira." I took a nod with more tears as I fell onto my knees.

"Tell Yuna that I'm sorry I could not accompany her on her pilgrimage." I replied before slicing my neck. I fell to the ground and fainted.

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"Rikku! Rikku!" I heard a sounding voice as I opened my eyes to find myself in a lush forest that had an out-of-this-world look. The sound of waterfalls was heard, with the sound of birds chirping under a glaring hot sun.

'_Farplane?'_

I looked around to see no one around me. Suddenly, I saw the same girl with the green scarf and brown hair approaching me.

"Where am I?" I asked her.

"Somewhere." Came her short reply. "Somewhere in Spira before your generations, or even your father's generation."

"Why did you bring me here?"

"I was only going to ask you: It was rather foolish of you to end your life just like that," her gentle voice was soothing which made me forget all worries. "You still have a story which has barely begun."

"But I failed to save Home!"

"I know of that," she answered. "But would you kill yourself, forgetting that the rest are worried about you?"

"I...I...." I was stammering at what she had said. I had been naïve, and refused to consider the feelings of my fellow guardians and Yuna.

"There. You have clearly ignored their feelings." She continued her talk. "You should go back, especially for a certain someone who is worried about you."

"Auron?" I said a little jokingly, thinking of the first person to come to mind.

"That's right," she said unexpectedly. "He and you are close friends. Why the need to leave Spira?"

"He has his Lyna to care about."

"Lyna...another Al Bhed girl who enlisted my help," the girl replied. "She returned to the past to find a certain someone."

I was a little amazed that Lyna was not from her own era. So she had returned to the past to find the person she loved. Curious about her, I continued to talk to the brown-haired girl.

"Could you tell me more about her?"

"I'm afraid not," came her answer. "It's time for me to leave, and for you to return to Spira." She replied as everything began to melt into a shadow, with her following suit as well.

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I woke up to find Lulu tending to me. She looked a little cross as I noticed that my neck had a small incision through feeling it.

"You shouldn't have done that," came her cold reply again. "Remember what you promised to Yuna at the Moonflow."

"Sorry Lulu," I replied back to her with apologetic expressions. "I was a bit too rash previously. I guess I should go apologise to Sir Auron." I had used the word Sir to be a little more polite to the usual legendary guardian whom I could not be bothered to call him with honourifics.

"I suppose there shouldn't be any need." She replied back with her red eyes piercing my swirling green eyes. "It would be better if you lie down and rest. Sir Auron would be pleased to see you resting than running around."

"I suppose you're right," I spoke softly. "But I think I'd go see the Al Bhed youths at the engine room entrance."

"Perhaps you need some time alone," Lulu decided. "It would be best then if you go."

I nodded before running out of the room towards the engine room entrance. Closing the door behind me, I ran into the innards of the engine room while hearing the churning sound of the machina running to fuel the flying airship.

Finding a suitable spot at the metal floor and sitting down, I buried my head in my lap as I began my meditation to drive me away from my sad moments.

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**Hehe....perhaps this is all for now....I'll try to write some more in future. At current, Rikku is 'out of danger' and we can now relax. See ya some time in the next chapter! ; ) Anyway, sorry for the short content here. But I've decided to split the event into two. Anyway...see ya for now!**


	16. Soulsearching

**Chapter Sixteen: Soul-searching**

**Hi again! I'm real sorry that it took so long for me to put in a new installment of this story. As promised, I will start adding 'image songs' into the next episodes soon as the plot gets thicker and thicker. Hope nobody thought I was dead/**

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**Chapter Sixteen**

I sat down on the cold metal floor thinking about the wonderful moments I had with Yunie before she was kidnapped. Even my memories with dear Keyakku had begun to materialize in my sub-conscious. Thinking about the red stoical of a legendary guardian, I began to flare up.

"LEGENDARY GUARDIAN SO WHAT?!?" I screamed at the near-darkness, assuming I was the only soul in the room. I threw a tiny pebble across the room, making a metallic thud as it made its impact on the iron floor. "MORE LIKE A LOGHEAD GUARDIAN!"

For a moment I came to my senses. I had suddenly spoken Yevonish on impulse for the first time. What on earth was going on? Since when did I become this fluent in Yevonish and not my common problems with speaking it. I heard footsteps, the footsteps of boots approaching my way.

"Fryd tu oui fyhd?" I shouted back assuming that it must be some person. Making some guesses, feelings of embarrassment came to my head with warm blood rushing to my cheeks. "Ur! E vunkud drec ec dra ahkeha nuus. Cunno du pudran oui mega dryd." I made my way across the room back to the elevator which led back to the airship main area.

A rather big figure blocked my way as his shape showed itself from the only light behind. "Aqlica sa," I ordered but with no avail as the figure did not budge. Wait a minute. I never remembered the Al Bhed having such tall people. A shade of red cloth revealed itself as the air created by the engine blew the figure's clothing. "Ur hu...ed lyh'd pa oui." I began to run back into the engine room.

"Stop." The thundering single word order from the legendary guardian came across the room. I froze in my tracks. I heard silence.

"Just go," I replied back. "I need some solitude for myself now." I knew my words fell on deaf ears as I heard the approaching footsteps once again. "I TOLD YOU TO GO!" I shouted back.

"You should be resting," his valuable speech came out of his mouth. "Why are you here?"

"It doesn't concern you." I replied back coldly.

"It concerns me if it is Yuna's order," came his reply which gave me a little shock.

"What do you mean?"

"Yuna wishes for you to be safe," the same old low-pitch voice sounded.

"Uubc! E lyh'd ihtancdyht ouin myhkiyka," I began to play around with the stoical. I didn't want to accept what he was speaking. Auron was a really a pain in the neck now.

"Yuna fecrac vun oui du pa cyva," he gave back the translated version.

"E tuh'd kad oui."

"Cra fecrac dryd E fydlr ujan oui." Came the same short reply. Idiot. If he was going to say he like me, why wasn't he attending to the subject?

"Listen Auron," I made stern rejoinders at him. "I don't need anyone to protect me, goodbye!" I gave him a hard push before heading for the elevator. "Thanks for spoiling my time for soul-searching." I gave him a cold hard stare.

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I re-opened my eyes to see a beautiful plain around me. Flowers grew on the land with butterflies flying from one to another. This was our original home, the native land of the Al Bhed. I smiled at the beautiful landscape.

"You love this land, don't you?" I turned around to see the brown-haired girl approaching me. "This place also existed in my time too."

"Oh? Was it nicer?" I questioned.

"In my time I visited this place to pay my respects to a relative," she replied with a rather sad look on her face, staring at the landscape. "Many of my friends had their final resting place here."

I took a step back. "You mean…?" I was in shock. "This land was a cemetery?"

"If you believe, then it is," came her reply. "Fret not, you won't probably know where are the resting areas. It was one a very long time ago."

"During the Zanarkand era?"

"Incorrect," she shook her head. "A very long time even before Zanarkand came into existence."

"How did you manage to avoid the so-called Farplane for such a long time?" I asked again.

"Like you," she replied placing her hand on my shoulder. "I do not believe in it."

"Is that how Auron managed to be unsent all these years?"

"The Farplane does not call Auron," the brunette responded. "Auron is somehow alive yet unsent. He does not belong to this world."

"Huh?" I answered in disbelief. "What do you mean?"

"You'll understand in due time," she replied. "I have to go now. We'll meet again, Rikku." As soon as she touched me, I saw a blinding white light that made my eyes shut.

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I opened my eyes to find myself on the bed in my cabin. As my memories re-collected, I had took the elevator back to the ship main deck and rested in my room. A few pyreflies had mysteriously made their way into my room and rested onto my palm.

"Hello Rikku," one pyrefly sprang to life. I could recognize its voice.

"Seymour!" I cried back. "Where is Yunie?" I could hear sinister laughing as a reply.

"Do not worry, my dear." Came the reply. "You'll be next after her." As soon as the last word was spoken, the pyrefly made its way into oblivion. Suddenly, I heard a knock on my door.

"Rikku? Are you awake?" I heard the black mage's voice from outside. "We have found Yuna. Come to the cockpit soon." Soon, I heard her scuttering away into the corridor.

Pressing a button to open the door, I made my way outside into the corridor. I made my rush towards the cockpit, praying what could have happened to Yuna.

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**Okay guys! I couldn't really write much this time. Perhaps soon when I have time. Expect to see the next episode written soon!**


	17. The Rescue

**Chapter Seventeen: The Rescue**

**Hey guys again! I guess it's probably time to write the next chapter. Well, I've got nothing to say much….just only enjoy this chapter!**

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**Chapter Seventeen**

I slided down the rope that Vydran had provided for us as we moved down to the platform of Bevelle's High Temple. We had finally defeated Evrae, the guardian of Bevelle who was believed to be invincible since it was always said to have helped much when defending the heart of the Yevon religion against Sin.

"Watch out for their weapons!" I heard Tidus' cry as we came closer to the platform of the High Temple. There were waves of their weapons as they fired at us. Wait a minute. Were they firing and not using arrows? I noticed clearly as they were clearly aiming machina weapons at us instead. Wasn't their weapons officially banned by the Yevon religion? I saw closely as Seymour grabbed Yuna by the hand, running up the steps.

As we dodge the fires of bullets, we proceeded down to the platform where it led to the long route leading to the higher platform where Yuna was at. As soon as we had landed, several soldiers rushed to protect the couple as the first few soldiers engaged us for battle.

"Yuna!" Came Tidus' cry of concern.

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The soldiers were beaten by us, but we were exhausted from the consecutive battles that these soldiers had rushed to stop us. It was definitely shocking, for they had weapons that were supposedly banned by the Yevon religion, with some soldiers even having a flame-thrower weapon that sought to burn us but failed.

"Stop!"

I heard the halting command coming from one of the men at the platform. He wore a different suit from the rest, probably one of the higher ranks.

"This has gone far enough!" The higher ranking man gave a signal which made the soldiers raise their arms. I noticed in the distance that Yuna held out her wand. So this was it. It was a ploy by Yuna to subdue him for she knew that he was already evil from the start and had plans to marry him so that she could stop him from doing more evil in Spira. At this moment, I was impressed at my own cousin's great idea at agreeing to marry the person she hated. However, this was not to be long as it ended when I turned behind.

A rifle was placed next to Tidus' face. He would be instantly killed should the machina weapon be fired upon him. I felt great emergency for him, but I knew it was stupid if any of us made a move on him. We would be all killed if we had made a move. I felt a sense of maturity as I had finally understood how to act in such perilous situations. And it was all thanks to the great crimson guardian I knew as Auron. Seymour gave a slight chuckle.

"You would play at marriage just for a chance to send me?" He gave a sinister laugh as he continued to look at all of us from the platform. "Your resolve is admirable."

"All the more fitting to be my lovely wife," he remarked sarcastically as he looked at Yuna again, who had raised out her wand. I could notice that pyreflies were beginning to exit her bridegroom's body. Yuna was beginning the dance to send him to the Farplane. This instance led to soldiers once again pointing their rifles at us.

"Stop!" I could hear that the voice this time came from someone much more powerful. It was an old man with a white beard. Maester Mika. "Do you not value your friends' lives?"

"Rikku," I heard the voice coming from the red guardian again. "Use your flash grenade when the time comes."

"What?!?" I exclaimed in shock at his order. "How did you know that I'd carry one everytime?"

"I have my own sources." Came his short reply again.

"How would I know when?" I responded to his sharp answer. "The situation is so tense now!"

"You will know."

It was rather confusing but something caught my eye as soon as we ended our brief conversation. I had completely missed out on hearing what Maester Mika was talking about, which ended when Seymour had begun to kiss Yuna. I turned to find a very angry Tidus, with extreme jealousy in his face expression. There were claps heard, which made the blitzball player more angry.

"Kill them."

I heard that from Seymour. He was giving the order for killing us. Now I had finally known what I was supposed to do when Auron had instructed me.

"I'm sorry," I turned to see the other high-ranking man close to the old guardian. "But it is for Yevon."

"Aren't those weapons forbidden by Yevon?" I felt a touch of animosity in his tone.

"There are exceptions," he replied and stuck the rifle in Auron's face. My heart was racing, as I was going to rush forward instinctively and save him. However, it was rather stupid as someone beat me to it, and I had no idea why I desired to save the old guardian.

"No!" I heard Yuna's voice again. "Throw down your weapons! Let them go, or else…"

It was a scene of horror as I saw Yuna beginning to walk backwards towards the platform's edge which led all the way to the bottom. As the name suggests, the High Temple was really high, literally. I noticed Seymour lowering his hand in response which made the soldiers put down their weapons. I saw as Tidus rushed up the stairs, a natural response to what was happening.

"Leave now!" Yuna ordered us as her voice echoed across. "Please!"

"You're coming with us!" Tidus exclaimed as he rushed across to save her.

"Don't worry! Go!"

"This is foolish," Seymour interrupted. "If you fall, you'll die."

"Don't worry," Yuna wiped her lips. "I can fly."

Tidus was looking at her with uncertainty. On the other hand, Seymour was looking unfazed at what Yuna had spoken. It was clear that he knew what she was going to do.

"Believe."

I could see Yunie as she took a step backward, making her fall off the platform.

"Yuna!" Tidus shouted as he looked down from the platform.

"Now is the time," I heard Auron exclaimed. I nodded in reply and turned to everyone.

"Cover your eyes!" I closed mine as I threw the grenade onto the ground, feeling the intensity of light behind my eyelids. I opened to see that the rest were blinded by the sudden flash produced by the grenade.

"What was that?" Wakka enquired.

"An Al Bhed flashbomb," I replied to his inquiry.

"Lemme go!" I could hear Tidus screaming like a baby as he was carried away by Kimahri. I knew he was reliable when it came to such situations when Tidus became impulsive. "I'm gonna kill that Seymour!"

"Yuna said leave!" The blue Ronso replied back as he carried the struggling Tidus away in his arms. "We leave!"

"We'll join up with her later!" Lulu reassured as she led the way. It seems like she had been to this part of Bevelle before.

"Break through!" Auron replied.

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We arrived at the front of a building. It seemed that we had shaken off the soldiers and the walkway had led to a rather large building. Upon seeing it, I had a bad feeling about it.

"Where'd Yunie go?" I questioned.

"Bevelle Palace is temple," Kimahri replied unexpectedly. "Yuna goes to one place only."

"The Chamber of the Fayth!" Tidus cried out as if he had solved a mysterious puzzle. Auron nodded before turning to enter the building. It was definite that he was always trying to show off that he was the only one who knew the way around Bevelle.

It was not long before we arrived inside the temple. There was a spiral staircase which led to a long way down the building into sheer darkness. Strangely, the building was quiet despite the fact that the soldiers could easily pursue us here. It was rather unusual to have a building to be that tall too without the use of machina, especially at the heart of it.

"It's too quiet," Lulu's suspicion came. I could see behind Auron's glasses that he was agreeing too, but made no comment. "A trap?"

"Who cares?" Tidus' impulsive nature came again. "Yuna's waiting for us!"

"Huh?" I took notice of a machina at the side of the wall. What in the world was it doing in such a place? Trying my luck, I operated it without much trouble. It seemed that Bevelle too had an internal network of machina. And they had once mentioned that these kinds of machina were forbidden in temples. Great liars.

"What's a machina doing in a temple?" Wakka inquired with curiosity. It was natural of him to enquire about such strange 'phenomenons'.

"I suppose it comes in handy," I replied with revived enthusiasm.

"That's not what I mean!" I could sense his frustration over machina found in the temple. "The teachings! What about the teachings?"

"Hey, don't look at me!"

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We descended down the temple through the use of the strange Yevonite machina. At the lower platform, I could see another of them at the side of the wall.

"Another machine?" Wakka exclaimed in disappointment. "Man…"

"So this is Yevon's true face," the great crimson guardian gave a chuckle. "They betray their own teachings."

Wakka gave a sigh in return. I knew Auron was rather sarcastic in his words, but I could see that he was a little hurt through his eyes too. Perhaps, he was feeling the same as Wakka.

"They treated us like dirt," came Wakka's response.

We continued our walk into the chamber before looking at the front of a doorway with its door closed. It was pretty obvious what it was as soon as Lulu had mentioned its name.

"The entrance to the Trials."

"I wonder if Yunie's really in there," I was curious at it from my new exposure to the inner temple. I had never been to a single temple in my whole life; it was my first time.

"Let's go and see!" Wakka exclaimed.

"Let's go!" Lulu continued.

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**Well, I hope you like it much. I shall try to write the next chapter as this chapter isn't very related much to the main story. Goodbye for now!**


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